FRONTESPIZIO - Cooperazione Italiana allo Sviluppo

90 Andrea Gardellin, Abraham Gebre GiorgisThe major responsibilities of the department are:• Drug quality analysis: physicochemical drug quality analysis and microbiologicaldrug quality testing• Cosmetic analyses, condom quality testing, vaccine quality testing• Pesticide: quality analysis, residue analyses• Toxicological tests: pesticide exposure tests, acute toxicological analysis, toxicologicalscreening test, veterinary drug residue analysesThe Laboratory has four divisions namely:• Physicochemical laboratory division• Toxicology laboratory division• Pharmaceutical Microbiology laboratory division• Pesticide laboratory divisionThe Laboratory is staffed with: Pharmacists, Veterinarians, Chemists,Biologists, Agro chemists, Pharmacy Technicians and Administrative Staff.In the 1998 EFY (2004/2005 G.C.), the department has tested 376 newdrugs sample with a failure rate of 11.2% of the sample tested. The laboratoryis supported by different international donors: WHO, USAID, GlobalFund and Italian Cooperation.Regarding the expired drugs and the storage and handling conditions in thepublic health facilities in Ethiopia, a recent assessment (2) conducted in thecountry by the WHO and the Federal Ministry of Health showed the followingresults:Table 9. Summary of national indicators on qualityIndicatorsPHCFsMeanMedianPercentage of expired drugs 8.24 0Storage condition rate (on a scale of 0-11 scores) 5.98 64. Access to essential medicines4. Access to essential medicines4.1 Why is this important?Essential medicines save lives, reduce suffering, and improve the functioning and4.1 Why is this important?well-being of people who have access to them. On the population level, access toEssential affordablemedicines and appropriately save lives, used reduce high-quality suffering, medicines and improve boosts productivity the functioning andand economic well-being output. of people who have access to them. On the population level,access Many factors affordable determineand access appropriately to essential medicines. used high-quality Access can vary medicines between boosts urbanand rural areas because of problems with health system development. Pharmacies,productivity and economic output.medicines distributors, health facilities, and public and private health providers areusually concentrated in cities and regional centres.The retail prices of essential drugs can vary widely. Reliance on distribution ofmedicines in the private sector often means that essential medicines are too expensivefor poor patients to afford.