| |
Credit: Catholic Medical
Mission Board |
For decades the collaborations between healthcare firms that donate medical products and the humanitarian agencies that deliver and distribute these products have served to help meet important healthcare needs of vulnerable populations around the world.
In fact, appropriate, high quality medical product donations continue to help humanitarian agencies in their efforts to provide disaster relief, build basic healthcare infrastructures, and combat specific diseases.
However, in the early 1990s, reports of inappropriate medial product donations began to surface. Countries already burdened by diseases, disasters, or weak healthcare systems were sent donations of expired medicines and other unneeded drugs. Unannounced deliveries and inadequately packaged or labeled donations added to the problems.
Credit: Project HOPE |
In 1996 the World Health Organization (WHO) published Interagency Guidelines intended to ensure future donations would be both appropriate and effective. However, the guidelines raised several concerns among relief and humanitarian agencies and healthcare firms. Foremost was the concern that much needed medical donations might either be reduced or discouraged. Additionally, many asked that the benefits of donations be more fully elaborated upon in future editions of the Guidelines.
It was against this backdrop that an informal alliance of private voluntary agencies and pharmaceutical and medical device companies was formed in 1996 and formally incorporated in 1999 as the Partnership for Quality Medical Donations (PQMD). Its membership shared a common commitment to address these concerns and advance effective and appropriate medical donations.
Credit: AmeriCares |
Since then, PQMD has become a tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and holds the distinction of being the first U.S. organization to contribute to and endorse the revised 1999 WHO Interagency Guidelines on Drug Donations. Also, PQMD sponsored the first systematic assessment of U.S. pharmaceutical donations conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health. This study outlined policy recommendations to improve the donation process.
Today PQMD is comprised of 27 member organizations, strongly committed to raising medical donation standards, promoting effective donation practices, and informing policy makers and the general public on the donation process.
|
