Bitter Pills:Medicines & The Third World Poor | Page 235

76

Ibid.

77

Dr. John S. Yudkin, "The Economics of Pharmaceutical Supply in Tanzania",
International Journal of Health Services, Volume 10, number 3, 1980, p.460. In April
1982, in response to our enquiry, a spokesman of A.H. Robbinsin Richmond, Virginia,
US, advised us by telephone that a company executive was due to visit Tanzania and would
look into the matter. The British National Formulary (1981) commen?s on cough
expectorants like Robitussin (guaiphenesin): "There is no evidence that any drug given
by mouth has specific action in promoting expectoration of bronchial secretions by
stimulation or augmentation of the cough reflex... There is thus no scientific basis for
prescribing these arugs although a harmless expectorant mixture may have a useful role
as a placebo." (p.93) Prof. Peter Parish puts it more forcefully: guaiphenesin etc. "are
present in many cough medicines and from the point of view of effectiveness you may
as well choose them by taste or colour." (Medicines, A Guide for Everybody, Penguin,
1981, p. 103). Regarding Dimotane (containing 4 drugs including an antihistamine and
expectorant and sympathomimetic) the BNF comments: "Combinations such as
expectorant and cough supressant, sympathomimetic and sedative, and any or all of these
with other types of drug such as antihistamines are to be deprecated. " (p.95 original
emphasis)

7S

For example in Britain the ABPI "Code of Practice for the Pharmaceutical Industry",
op.cit., includes 5 paragraphs of guidelines and restrictions on the distribution of samples.
Para. 16.1 states: "Except when provided for indentification or demonstration purposes,
samples should only be supplied in response to a signed request from a doctor...When
samples are provided to assist doctors in the recognition or identification of a product...only
the minimum quantity necessary for this purpose should be supplied."

79

Hathi Committee, op.cit.

SO

Paul E. Jenkins, UNAIS. Sahel Region Upper Volta, personal communication, I December
1981 (OXFAM Project VOL 114).

81

For example, stock at Ahmed Alhadry's Sandileer, the local pharmacy in Al Jabin, included
10 free samples, including Upjohn's Erythromycin, Boehringer's Gynaecosid, Warner
& Co's (UK) Sinutab Decongestant, Dumex's antidepressive Imiprex, Knoll's Osadrin
and others from Italian manufacturers. (Check made on 22 June 1980 by members of
the British Organisation for Community Development Health Team.)

82

Government of the Yemen Arab Republic, "Fourth Annual Report on the Activities of
the Supreme Board for Medicines and Medical Equipment during 1979", (translated from
the Arabic) and as reported in The Lancet, 4 July 1981. Whilst waiting to see the WHO
representative in Sana'a, September 1980, we observed a member of staff being given
a free sample of an Asthma spray for a sore throat.

83

Dr. John Yudkin, "To plan is to choose", 1979. (mimeo)

S4

Dr. Ann Hoskins, British Organisation for Community Development, Discussion paper
from the BHS Drug Committee on the problems of drugs in Yemen, May 1981.

85

Priscilla Annamanthodo, OXFAM, "Medicines in Upper Volta", research paper,
Ouagadougou, October 1980. (mimeo)

86

S. Redfern, Roche Products Ltd., attachment to personal communication, 4 May 1982.

87

Professor Nurul Islam, in interview with the author, 6 October 1980.

S8

ABPI, 1979, op.cit. Organon products, p.730.

89

British National Formulary, 1981, op.cit., p. 159.

90

Dr. Sultana Khanum, paediatrician, SCF Children's Nutrition Unit, Dacca, in interview
with the author, 24 September 1980.

91

1CSSR/ICMR, Health/or All - An Alternative Strategy, 1981, p.179.

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