UNAIDS HIV Drug Access Initiative: Providing Wider Access to HIV-related Drugs in Developing Countries, Pilot Phase

An experienced Project Manager is recruited in each pilot country to
supervise the start of the project and head the Project Management Team.
The Project Management Team, in turn:
* Assists the Advisory Board in the selection of clinics on the basis of a
proposal, assessment of the clinical and laboratory facilities, as well as the
appropriate staffing by doctors and other health workers in each clinic;
* Estimates the needs of drugs for the selected centres;
* Holds training workshops for health and social workers;
* Prepares and distributes standardized information, including patient chart
and prescription formats;
* Provides appropriate computer training and stock management software
for drug dispensation at the clinic.
Delivering Care: Identifying and Supporting Qualified Health Care
Centres
To receive drugs through the initiative, a referral health care centre must be
able to provide patients with:
* Well-trained doctors and other health workers;
* Good clinical facilities for diagnosis and management;
* Standard laboratory facilities;
* Appropriate social support;
* Appropriate drug dispensation facilities.
Community-based organizations (CBOs) and NGOs involved in health care
delivery systems are encouraged and assisted to establish qualified health
care centres.
Distributing Needed Drugs
Drugs are dispensed against a medical prescription issued by a qualified
physician at the centre. All qualifying centres are required to keep proper
prescription and dispensing records in accordance with normal professional
practice. Stock management programmes, featuring anonymous patient data
including CD4 cell count, viral load, clinical staging, prescriber's code and
drugs names, are provided and standardized by UNAIDS.

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