13.

3 Addressing the global shortage of, and access to, medicines and vaccines

Statement:

Honorable Chair,
Distinguished Delegates,

The International Pharmaceutical Students Federation is the leading voice of pharmacy students and
recent graduates in over 81 different countries worldwide.

IPSF recommends that Member States strengthen public-private partnerships (P3s) to fast-track the
availability and accessibility of medications and vaccines around the world. As pharmacy students, we
experience firsthand the detrimental effects of medication and vaccine shortages on our patients. We
encounter shortages in our pharmacies and are put in the situation of rationing medications. We are
invested in addressing this issue, as it directly affects our patients health outcomes.

The global response to Ebola is evidence of the success of public-private partnerships. Utilizing these
complex, yet effective relationships resulted in acceleration of vaccine development and clinical trials.
Maintaining P3s will prevent the need to develop vaccines under stressful circumstances, since these
partnerships are facilitated to be efficient and strategic.

An article published in the Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy revealed that shortages impact patient
care by delaying treatment, rendering treatment unavailable, or resorting to less effective medications.
In response to this reality, IPSF strongly encourages the implementation of P3s to medication shortages
per region. For instance, a P3 strategy for medications against neglected tropical diseases may be
promoted among African countries, where these medicines are needed most.

In conclusion, IPSF prompts Member States to address global medication and vaccine shortages by
sustaining and improving public-private partnerships.

References:
1. http://www.jmcp.org/doi/10.18553/jmcp.2013.19.9.783
2. http://cepi.net/approach#Background
3. WHO. Medicines shortages. Drug Information vol. 30.2 2016
4. Lyengar et al. Medicine shortages: A commentary on causes and mitigation strategies. BMC Medicine (2016) 14:124
5. FIP. Report of the international summit on Medicines Shortage (June 2013) Toronto, Canada.
6. EMA. Developing a proactive approach to the prevention of medicines shortages due to manufacturing and quality
problems. EMA/679967/2015
7. Hinman et al. Vaccine Shortages: History, Impact and Prospects for the future. Annu. Rev. Public Health 2006. 27:235-
259
8. http://www.ncppp.org/ppp-basics/7-keys/