The United States Pharmacopeia selected by USAID to strengthen systems that improve the quality of medical products in low- and middle-income countries

ROCKVILLE, Md., Oct. 2, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has awarded a 5-year, $160 million cooperative agreement to the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) to sustainably strengthen medical product quality assurance systems in low- and middle-income countries, addressing the proliferation of poor-quality medical products that put millions of people at increased risk of illness or death and waste precious health system resources. The program—Promoting the Quality of Medicines Plus (PQM+)—builds on the successes of predecessor programs while adopting cutting-edge approaches to support countries worldwide in responding to an evolving pharmaceutical landscape.

"For 200 years, USP has been on the frontlines of protecting and improving the health of people around the world by helping ensure the quality of medical products," said Ronald T. Piervincenzi, Ph.D., USP CEO. "We are delighted to expand our productive 25-year partnership with USAID in global health and support countries on their journey to becoming self-reliant in their ability to assure the quality of medical products."

To achieve the goal of PQM+, USP and its partners will work to strengthen governance and regulatory structures, optimize the allocation and use of resources, improve the supply of quality-assured medical products, and advance the global learning, policy, and operational agenda for medical product quality assurance. Importantly, PQM+ will work with local and regional organizations to build on-the-ground specialized expertise where it is needed most. Through PQM+, these partners will mature to become direct providers of technical assistance.

"Poor-quality medical products endanger millions of people, fuel antimicrobial resistance, hold back progress on universal health coverage, and waste billions of dollars in health resources," said Jude Nwokike, PQM+ Program Director at USP. "PQM+ will support countries to protect their citizens and their economies from the harms of poor-quality medical products and reap the benefits of increased access to quality-assured medical products."

About PQM+

Funded by the American people through USAID and implemented by a consortium of partners led by USP, the PQM+ program sustainably strengthens medical product quality assurance systems in low- and middle-income countries by applying international quality standards and systems strengthening approaches to improve access to quality-assured essential medicines.

Led by USP, the PQM+ consortium includes core partners IntraHealth International, IQVIA Government Solutions, Panagora Group, and African Union Development Agency–New Partnership for Africa's Development (AUDA-NEPAD); as well as locally based partners Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences; Center for Drug Discovery, Development and Production at the University of Ibadan; Addis Ababa University School of Pharmacy-Regional Bioequivalence Center; Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network; Mahidol University; and Association of Southeast Asian Nations Network for Drugs, Diagnostics and Vaccines Innovation (ASEAN-NDI); as well as several technical resource partners.

About USP

USP is an independent scientific organization whose mission is to improve public health through public standards and related programs that help ensure the quality, safety, and benefit of medicines and foods. Through our standards, advocacy, and capability-building, USP helps increase the availability of quality medicines, supplements, and food in the United States and for billions of people worldwide. USP has offices in the United States, Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Europe, including five state-of-the-art laboratories, full-scale training facilities in Ghana and India, an online training system, and partnerships with national quality control laboratories around the world. For more information about USP, visit www.usp.org.

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SOURCE U.S. Pharmacopeia

Related Links

http://www.usp.org