Recent documents and publications

The 1st edition of the guidelines (then titled Guidelines for drug donations) was published in May 1996 and represented the consensus of WHO and a variety of international relief and development agencies. The 1st edition was based on several rounds of consultation with over 100 humanitarian organizations and individual experts. A thorough evaluation of the 1st edition formed the basis of the 2nd edition of the guidelines published in 1999. The 2nd edition received support from an expanded group which included nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in international development, umbrella organizations of the pharmaceutical industry, several United Nations agencies, and the World Bank. The 2nd edition has provided guidance on donation practice for the past 10 years and has been a source for national donation policy‐making...

• Guidelines for medicine donations

Quality control methods for herbal materials

WHO published Quality control methods for medicinal plant materials in 1998 in order to support WHO Member States in establishing quality standards and specifications for herbal materials, within the overall context of quality assurance and control of herbal medicines. This is the updated edition of the 1998 publication, with an updated title...

• Quality control methods for herbal materials

WHO Pharmaceuticals Newsletter, No. 4, 2011

The WHO Pharmaceuticals Newsletter provides you with the latest safety reports, advice, warnings and other updates from regulatory authorities across the world, including suspension and new restriction of the use of pioglitazone.
In this edition of the WHO Pharmaceuticals Newsletter, you will also find a summary of two training courses on pharmacovigilance hosted by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, Kenya...

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WHO guidelines on good manufacturing practices for blood establishments

The World Health Organization (WHO) requirements for the collection, processing and quality control of blood, blood components and plasma derivatives (1) defi ne a quality assurance system based on (i) the existence of a national structure that is independent of manufacturers, (ii) compliance with the process of quality assurance for biological products — i.e. control of starting material(s), production processes and fi nal product(s) — and (iii) strict adherence to the principles of good manufacturing practice (GMP)...

• WHO Technical Report Series 961, 2011

Ensuring access to Priority Medicines for mothers and children improves health and saves lives.

Priority medicines for mothers and children 2011

Priority medicines are medicines with potential to save lives and should be available in all health systems. The priority medicines list for mothers and children helps countries select and make available the most important medicines.
Major causes of death in mothers and children could be prevented or treated with access to simple and affordable medicines. However, many medicines are not available in countries.

Continuity and Change: Implementing the Third WHO Medicines Strategy - 2008-2013

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Continuity and Change – Implementing the third WHO Medicines Strategy 2008-2013, provides practical guidance to WHO and stakeholders on how the essential medicines concept and WHO’s expertise will be used to promote universal access and patient-centred health care for all. It presents priorities for action by WHO as a guide for future investment and planning decisions, and serves as a user-friendly document for stakeholders.