Resources and Tools for Pharmaceutical Management of Malaria

RPM Plus has developed publications and electronic tools to guide countries and programs in managing malaria-related pharmaceutical and commodity needs. These materials can be adapted to address specific needs and provide structured approaches to strengthen pharmaceutical systems.

Resources for introducing and scaling up ACT programs include—

Road Map for Scaling Up ACTs: 2004 and Beyond
The road map outlines critical steps, bottlenecks, and milestones in the production, prequalification, registration, procurement, and sourcing of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs). Its purpose is to facilitate collaboration within the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership to help countries that are adopting ACT treatment.

Quantimed

This quantification database tool models a facility's malaria caseload and allows the input of multiple treatment regimens. It enables program managers to generate realistic estimates of pharmaceutical requirements and prepare accurate budgets for scaling up ACT programs.

Sources and Prices of Selected Products for the Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Malaria 2004
The prices paid by end users for antimalarial medicines, insecticide-treated nets, and other supplies vary considerably in different settings: prices may differ in the public sectors of different countries, between the public and private sectors, or even within the private sector. This resource provides information on product suppliers as well as product prices, for use by government and UN agencies in making procurement decisions. The guide was jointly produced by WHO, RBM, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Population Services International (PSI), and RPM Plus.

Pharmaceutical Management for Malaria Assessment Tools
RPM Plus has created two assessment tools, for evaluating patterns of antimalarial medicines use, in public-sector health care facilities and retail drug shops or by consumers in the community, respectively. These tools help program planners identify and address factors related to the availability of medicines and the quantities to buy; where the medicines are purchased or how they are obtained; and how the medicines are prescribed, dispensed, and ultimately used by patients. The tools have been used in Latin America, Asia, the Near East, and in the African countries of Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, and Zambia.

The Manager: Addressing Barriers in Malaria Control through Pharmaceutical and Commodity Management
This issue of MSH's quarterly publication provides health professionals with information and practical suggestions on how to strengthen pharmaceutical management in malarial control programs.

Resources for developing local capacity for pharmaceutical management include—

Training Courses

The Antimalarial Quantification Training Course helps malaria program managers and essential medicines departments effectively calculate their ACT needs. It also introduces Quantimed, RPM Plus's computer-based tool for pharmaceutical quantification.

Pharmaceutical Management for Malaria is a five-day training workshop in managing pharmaceuticals and supplies for malaria, complemented by the malaria assessment tools.

Some of these malaria-related resources are available, along with other pharmaceutical management materials, at The Manager's Electronic Resource Center.