Pharmaceutical products
Pharmaceutical products - also known as medicines or drugs - are special preparations used in modern and traditional medicine. They are essential for the prevention and treatment of diseases, and protection of public health.
The use of ineffective, poor quality, harmful medicines can lead to therapeutic failure, exacerbation of disease, resistance to medicines and sometimes death. It also undermines confidence in health systems, health professionals, pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors.
Ensuring regular access to good quality, safe and affordable medicines is still a challenge for many countries. The WHO Regional Office for Eastern Mediterranean provides relevant expertise and technical assistance for Member States in the Region in the areas of quality assurance, regulation and legislation, safety and efficacy of medicines.
Information resources
Recent publications
Specifications for pharmaceutical preparations
The International Pharmacopoeia
Policy documents
WHO Policy Perspectives on Medicines
The World Medicines Situation Report
WHO Medicines Strategy - 2008-2013, Continuity and change
Links
Online Training Course on Procurement and Supply Management for Pharmaceuticals provided by UNDP
Related topics
Related programmes
Essential medicines and pharmaceutical policies
Blood safety, laboratory and imaging
Vaccine preventable diseases and immunization
Collaborating centres
National Laboratory for Drugs Control, Tunisia
WHO Collaborating Centre for Pharmacovigilance, Morocco
Directorate for Drugs and Pharmacy, Ministry of Public Health, Tunisia