Medicines & Supplies
Successful management of both first-line and second-line TB medicines and supplies is essential so that these commodities reach and are properly used by the people who need them. Success in controlling tuberculosis depends on more than a low price for first-line medicines. TB programs must also ensure that patients receive drugs of high quality in the right dose at the right time. They must support each patient’s treatment for six months or longer to achieve a cure. This requires an unbroken cycle of effectively selecting, procuring, distributing, and using TB medicines.
MSH provides global technical leadership in the management of TB commodities (medicines and supplies). We provide specialized assistance to global initiatives like the Global TB Drug Facility (GDF), Green Light Committee, and the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. Through the USAID-funded Rational Pharmaceutical Management Plus (RPM Plus) Program, we strive to both increase global and national awareness of the crucial role of pharmaceutical management and to strengthen the capacity of local health systems so that communities have greater access to high-quality TB medicines and supplies. To pursue these goals, RPM Plus provides technical assistance at the national, regional, and local levels; capacity building and training for TB programs and staff; tools and resources to facilitate program management; and operations research to help identify interventions that improve TB program performance.
MSH’s major areas of work in pharmaceutical management for tuberculosis control include: