Goal: to ensure that appropriate information on the correct use and storage of drugs is readily available, widely disseminated and used accordingly.

Objectives:

1. To ensure the availability of, ready access to and correct application of consistent, appropriate information on drugs and therapeutics for health workers, patients and the public in general

2. To ensure that information used in the promotion and marketing of medicines is unbiased, accurate and not misleading

Strategies:

1. Establish a drug information infrastructure/system, including a National Drug and Poisons Information Centre, to provide on request and actively disseminate objective, relevant, practical and up-to-date information to health workers and consumers

2. Establish a suitable body, representing all agencies involved in production and dissemination of drug and therapeutics and rational drug use information and including relevant consumer bodies to ensure the relevance, appropriateness, harmonisation and co-ordination of the information to be provided and to avoid conflicting messages and duplication of effort and expense

3. Ensure continuous review and regular periodic revision and publication of the:

• Essential Drug List for Uganda (EDLU)

• Essential Veterinary Drug List for Uganda (EVDLU)

• National Standard Clinical Guidelines (NSCG) (including Standard Diagnostic and Standard Treatment Guidelines)

• Uganda National Formulary (UNF)

4. Train health workers in the appropriate use of drug information sources and institute a system for monitoring and provision of support supervision in this area.

5. Produce and distribute guidelines for drug promotion and marketing (based on WHO recommendations and existing national requirements) and ensure their effective enforcement through appropriate legislation, including controls on advertising.