Study finds that most drug donations to developing countries are appropriate

In the most extensive study of drug donations to date, a team of American researchers has concluded that most drugs donated by US pharmaceutical companies and delivered by private voluntary organisations are appropriate for local medical needs and arrive well before their expiry dates.

The Harvard School of Public Health's study An Assessment of US Pharmaceutical Donations: Players, Processes, and Products noted that 58-90% of drugs donated in three sample countries—Armenia, Haiti, and Tanzania—ere on either the respective countries' essential drugs list or the World Health Organisation's “model” list.

Examining data …