This statement aims to improve the quality of medicine donations, not to hinder them. It is intended to serve as a basis for national guidelines, to be reviewed, adapted and implemented by national pharmaceutical associations in giving advice to pharmacists, agencies involved in the donation of medicines and government departments. There are many different scenarios for the donation of medicines. They may take place in acute emergencies or as part of development aid in non-emergency situations. There are many basic rules for an appropriate donation that apply to all scenarios.
Medicines are an essential element in international humanitarian relief efforts.
There are many examples of donations of medicines that cause problems instead of being helpful. This is unfortunate because in disaster situations and war zones inappropriate donations of medicines create an extra workload in sorting, storage and distribution and can easily overstretch the capacity of scarce human resources and transport facilities. For this reason this type of donation is forbidden in an increasing number of countries and is generally discouraged. The donation of medicines must be based on a sound analysis of the needs, and their selection and distribution must fit within existing health policies and administrative systems. The quality requirements for medicines are different from other donated items, such as food and clothing.