The Barbados Drug Service (BDS) will continue its Level II Survey on the use of pharmaceuticals by Barbadians this weekend and is urging members of the public to cooperate fully with interviewers, who will be carrying identification cards issued by that organisation.????????????????????????????????????
The survey is part of the World Health Organisation/European Union/African Caribbean and Pacific Project (WHO/EU/ACP) Partnership on Pharmaceutical Policies, and will be carried out with assistance from Harvard University.??
It is one of the tools that WHO has developed to assess country pharmaceutical situations and a key objective "is to evaluate and monitor access and use of medicines in the community, so that we can get a clear indication of the effectiveness of the pharmaceutical services to Barbadians".
Within the survey there will be specific questions relevant to certain illnesses that will assist the Ministry of Health to evaluate these conditions and develop policies to address the needs of people living with them.??????
Information is expected to be collected from government polyclinics and health institutions, along with 30 private pharmacies. Patients using polyclinic pharmacies will also be interviewed upon leaving.?? In addition, 300 households across the island will be visited, as part of the survey.????
The Level II Survey on the use of pharmaceuticals will continue until August 26, and the information collected will be held in strict confidence.??jgill@barbados.gov.bb