Through our international contacts a test is being performed by researchers with the possible applicability of the GIMS model in England.

As known there are huge sponsored medication access programs by diverse organizations. The Global Fund is one them. In the last decade enormous amounts of medicines (specifically against HIV, TB, Malaria) have been distributed

But has there been attention for the Medication Safety aspect as well??

In the article beneath a first attempt to get more insight.

Medication Safety in donor-sponsored public health programmes

GIMS foundation is very proud to publish the MSc thesis:

‘GIMS model for the screening and rating of Medication Safety in a country’.

MSc thesis GIMS model by Aradhana Kohli

The GIMS model itself:

GIMS model 1.0 by Aradhana Kohli

In upcoming international academic collaboration the GIMS model will be evaluated for further practical use. Also publications in scientific magazines are in preparation.

The ‘GIMS model for screening and rating Medication Safety in a country 1.0’ is out!

This analytical tool with a new and comprehensive approach, regarding all the actors and factors influencing Medication Safety in a country,  is of use for scientific and pharmaceutical policy research as it identifies the actual status and brings focus on possible improvements.

GIMS foundation invites fellow researchers to comment.

GIMS model version 1.0

In Middle-income country Mongolia pharmacy business is economically booming and therefor also the number of pharmacies and pharmacists.  But is the health of the Mongolians themselves also booming?

After a personal working visit the following conclusions could be made:

1. Pharmacies function primarly as a logistic service for the general public and just use ICT for logistics and financial administration.
2. Professional patient pharmaceutical counseling (e.g. controls on dosage, interactions, contra-indications) is very, very limited.
3. Both policy makers, academia as well as pharmaceutical professionals realise that progress (both in education as well as ICT-tools) is necessary in the theme of Medication Safety in order to protect the general public from health risks originating from medication .

Mongolia is a place where GIMS can/should be of help.

Since considerable time big medicine distribution programs (mainly on HIV and TB) have been enrolled by entities like WHO and the Global Fund.

How is the aspect of Medication Safety covered in these programs? Both policy wise and practically?

Utrecht University student Christiaan van Bommel BSc Pharm, and almost graduated as MSc Pharm, will look into this more deeply.

Results are to be expected by the end of July 2016.

As stated in January, Aradhana Kohli, BSc Pharmacy will do her MSc research project at GIMS.

Research project The GIMS model definitive

Goals

1) Create a theoretical research framework, i.e. a (international applicable) screening and rating model of all structures, processes, actors, factors and the corresponding critical dynamics (Attitude, Knowledge, Tools) between them, concerning Medication Safety in a country (to be called the ‘GIMS model’).

2) Evaluate and adapt the screening model.

3) Produce an article, e.g. for the Pharmaceutical Weekly, international scientific magazines.

Utrecht University MSc-student Aradhana Kohli starts this month at GIMS for her MSc-theses. In preparation for her research project she made a summary of the two BSc-theses which where conducted in 2015 year at GIMS.

Summary BSc-theses 2016

Conclusion:

Based on this research there are large differences found in regulations and legislation, prescription and delivery, availability and access to medicines among the countries studied. Factors such as education, war, government, culture and religion and economic state of a country have a significant impact on both regulating and monitoring these rules. The level of passive awareness among the healthcare specialists was high for nearly all the studied critical dynamics for all the countries. However the level of active awareness (in a way that one sees, or participates actively in, progress) was low in especially low and middle income countries.

This study didn’t provide hard outcomes, but can certainly provide a basis for a follow-up study in the field of global medication safety. Especially firstly in the analysis of the obstructions for increasing the active awareness of healthcare professionals.