Pilot university course on substandard - falsified medical products

ROUND TABLE: PILOT UNIVERSITY COURSE ON SUBSTANDARD AND FALSIFIED (SF) MEDICAL PRODUCTS

Strengthening the training of pharmacists with a formal and structured approach

WHO recognises that substandard and falsified (SF) medical products are a constant, pervasive and unacceptable public health threat. They harm patients, damage trust in health systems, waste precious resources, and contribute to antimicrobial resistance. Increasing education and awareness amongst those at the front line of healthcare is a key function of the prevention pillar and ensures that quality is demanded by all.

The last mile of the supply chain is the most vulnerable as it is most difficult to exhaustively supervise. Vigilance of pharmacists guarantee the integrity of the medical products’ supply chain. Pharmacists play a key role in preventing harm from SF medical products, but formal university level training is lacking.

Jointly with WHO and partners, FIP developed a comprehensive course (six modules based on a competency framework), adding to the curriculum of pharmacy students in five pilot universities. The course formalizes and structures information available to pharmacists, covering the root causes of SF medical products, early warning signals, good procurement practices, working with authorities, advice to patients, etc.

As interest grows from a diverse audience, WHO is hosting a round table with those involved and/or impacted by the project to share their experiences and interact with all interested parties. The experts, project managers, university professors and students will share their experiences and answer audience questions regarding the project’s achievements and next steps, through moderated discussions.

The round table will have simultaneous French/English interpretation.  Efforts will be made to maximize audience engagement using Slido. Participation is open to all but prior registration is required,