Managing pharmaceutical risks in cross-border care
A health worker checks the body temperature of a fan as part of an ebola screening ahead of the 2015 African Cup of Nations group D football match between Cameroon and Ivory Coast in Malabo on January 28, 2015. PHOTO | AFP
What you need to know:
Patients travelling across borders in pursuit of medical care are an evolving global trend in healthcare that has surged in recent years. Recent legislative changes which guide referral of patients abroad are likely to have important impacts on national policies.
Everyone participating in the healthcare system has a role to play in keeping patients safe and free from harm. To minimise the risk of sub-standard or counterfeit products moving across borders, national systems for regulation and law enforcement must be seamlessly linked
As the distinction between foreign and domestic products continues to blur and the supply chain becomes more complex, the job of ensuring the safety and efficacy of drugs and medical devices becomes more challenging.
We live in a dramatically transforming world with huge implications for health, medicine and the role of the regulators. While, there are many benefits of globalisation, there is no doubt that with the increasing interconnectedness of the world comes new vulnerabilities to a range of serious, even catastrophic, health threats.
Patients travelling across borders in pursuit of medical care are an evolving global trend in healthcare that has surged in recent years. Recent legislative changes which guide referral of patients abroad are likely to have important impacts on national policies.
