Project Where There Are No Pharmacists (WTANP)
2.1.5 Education of pharmacists and other health workers on rational drug use and management
HAIAP has nearly completed the process of developing a guide book or manual for health workers in developing countries on comprehensive methods and guidelines for the rational use of medicines and their effective management.
The book cover is currently being designed and worked on. HAIAP anticipates and is planning on translating WTANP into several regional languages.
WTANP will be made available in both print and electronic formats.
Background
In developing countries, the community is served by just one health worker who is neither a doctor nor a pharmacist. This person is usually trained to diagnose and prescribe as well as dispense medicines appropriate for the level of work. In many cases, there are good national treatment guidelines to follow as well as Where There Is No Doctor (WTIND), which is being used by health workers all over the world as a useful guide. What health workers don’t have is any training about the management of medicines. They need to have a reliable supply of the right medicines and they need to know how to store, prescribe and answer other queries by community members about the use of medicines.
The Project
WTANP focuses on the appropriate management of medicines and their proper use in the community. It will be a user friendly resource tool to create awareness about medicines and medical treatments. It will facilitate informed self-care and also educate people that many illnesses can be prevented or treated without medicines. The book will demystify medicines and medical science to enable lay people to understand the fundamental principles involving the essential medicines concept.
WTANP target audiences, such as rural health workers, are common place in regions such as rural Africa, some parts of Asia and in the Pacific Island Nations.
WTANP also educates dispensers in the informal medicines market and consumers and patients in order to provide information that is not available to them from doctors and hospitals.
Please click here to log in to the current online platform for discussions on WTANP (members only).
Please click here to access the draft digital e-book compiled by the Editor.
Related News:
- ‘Directions in Health Communication’ by Sophie Hill, appearing in Journal Scan for HAI News #150
