The "Oxford Statement, A Call for Global Access to Quality-Assured Medical Products" represents the first-ever global consensus declaration on medicines quality.
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Rockville, MD, November 8, 2019 — Over 150 global researchers, advocates and policymakers joined forces to call for immediate, global action to advance universal access to quality-assured medical products. The declaration, "The Oxford Statement, A Call for Global Access to Quality-Assured Medical Products," led together by Paul Newton, Professor of Tropical Medicine at Oxford University and Katherine Bond, Sc.D. vice president of international public policy advocacy at USP was published today in the journal The Lancet Global Health.
The Oxford Statement is the outcome of the first International Conference on Medicine Quality & Public Health, where participants from across sectors discussed strategies for protecting the quality of medical products globally. Many of its signatories are also members of the Medicines We Can Trust Campaign, a global coalition demanding attention to and action on medicines quality.
"It's unacceptable that patients are receiving medicines that put their lives at risk," said Dr. Bond. "This Oxford Statement reflects increasing recognition at global, regional and local levels that quality-assured medical products are not just a moral imperative, they're necessary to achieve our global goals."
From eliminating infectious diseases to achieving universal health coverage, public health efforts depend on medical products working as intended when they reach patient hands. Although substandard and falsified medical products are a global problem, they disproportionally affect the poorest and most vulnerable populations. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least one in 10 medicines in low- and middle-income countries is estimated to be substandard or falsified and 40% of reports of substandard and falsified medicines were for antimicrobials. Beyond imperiling patient health, poor-quality medicines cost the world between US $10-200 billion every year.
The Oxford Statement builds upon growing evidence of the prevalence and impact of substandard and falsified medical products. To ensure universal access to quality medical products, the statement outlines four key interventions:
- Adoption of the WHO's "Prevent, Detect and Respond" strategy
- Greater collaboration and harmonization across national regulatory authorities
- Increased investments to strengthen supply chains and regulatory systems
- Multidisciplinary research to understand the impact and solutions to this problem
"USP has helped to ensure the quality of medical products around the world for nearly 200 years," said Ronald T. Piervincenzi, Ph.D., CEO of USP. "We're committed to working with the signatories and the global community to ensure everyone has access to medicines they can trust."
About USP
USP is an independent scientific organization that collaborates with the world's top experts in health and science to develop quality standards for medicines, dietary supplements and food ingredients. Through our standards, advocacy and education, USP helps increase the availability of quality medicines, supplements and food for billions of people worldwide. For more information about USP, visit www.usp.org.
In 2018, USP launched Medicines We Can Trust, a global campaign that seeks to build awareness about the impact of poor-quality medicines and inspire collective action. Today, more than 340 partners, including civil society organizations, philanthropic foundations and government entities from across 40 countries have joined the campaign. For more information visit medswecantrust.org.