Shortage of medicines, a pilot project for communication management in Liguria
Liguria first in Italy to activate a pilot project with Aifa, the Region, Alisa (A.Li.Sa. Azienda Ligure Sanitaria) professional associations and the University of Genoa. The working group is formed
Liguria is the first Italian region to launch a pilot project, promoted by Alisa with AIFA, the Italian Medicines Agency, with the aim of tackling and managing information on drug shortages in the most appropriate way, involving doctors and pharmacists, and avoiding problems for patients. Tomorrow, Tuesday 24 January, the working group will be set up in which not only AIFA, Alisa and the Liguria Region will participate, but also the Order of Doctors, the Order of Pharmacists and SIFO (Italian Society of Hospital Pharmacy and pharmaceutical services). The first objective is to create accredited distance learning courses for healthcare workers and professionals.
"The collaboration with the Liguria Region on the issue of shortages - explains Domenico Di Giorgio, Inspection and Certification Area Manager of AIFA - has been active for years, but during the pandemic crisis we were able to strengthen it, building together innovative tools that have avoided difficulties on many critical drugs: the need for authoritative and coordinated communication on these topics is now perceived by all administrations, and we are sure that this initiative by Alisa can become a model, to be consolidated and promoted also at an international level".
“It's a pilot project – explain Giovanni Toti, President of the Liguria Region and Angelo Gratarola, health councilor – which demonstrates how Liguria is at the forefront of tackling this issue and giving concrete answers to operators and, through them, to citizens. Training and sharing of tools and information is the first point to avoid critical situations linked to the shortage or unavailability of medicines”.
“With this initiative – adds Filippo Ansaldi General Manager of Alisa – we bring all the players involved in managing communication on drug shortages around the table: thanking AIFA for its availability, we will activate specific training for doctors and pharmacists, thanks to which the whole system will be aligned and will be able to give answers to citizens".
The initiatives of the working group also see the involvement of the University of Genoa, through the participation of Prof. Gabriele Caviglioli, Director of the hospital pharmacy specialization school, who highlights: “These are complex problems with significant repercussions on health. Also for this reason they must be faced in a multidisciplinary context”. In this regard, discussions with patient associations are also starting for an ever more accurate listening to the citizens' point of view on this topic.
Editor's note: it does not seem to us that all the actors involved in the shortage of medicines are involved. We think that the involvement of those who produce the drugs could also be useful.
