§ Mr. Deakinsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services What action has been taken by Her Majesty's Government to implement the World Health Organisation's action programme for essential drugs.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe World Health Organisation action programme for essential drugs is aimed particularly at developing countries.
The implementation of an action programme is therefore a matter primarily for the developing countries themselves in conjunction with the World Health Organisation, who have offered to provide assistance if required and who have drawn up guidelines for the establishment of national programmes for essential drugs.
The government support the objectives of the action programme and help to further them by the provision, for example, of non-confidential information on drugs licensed in the United Kingdom, while the pharmaceutical industry has provided opportunities for training in quality control laboratories and has offered to supply drugs under favourable conditions and to provide consultant services on purchasing, storage and distribution facilities down to rural level.