PQM: Promoting the Quality of Medicines in Developing Countries

Treatment failure, increased morbidity, development of drug resistance, and wasted resources. The effects of substandard and counterfeit medicines are devastating, and in developing countries where resources to combat them are limited, their impact is hardest felt.
Since 1992, USP has worked cooperatively with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to help developing countries address critical issues related to poor quality medicines and their appropriate use. This partnership operated as the Drug Quality and Information (DQI) program until 2009, when, to better meet growing global needs, USAID awarded USP a five-year, $35 million cooperative agreement to establish a new, expanded program—Promoting the Quality of Medicines (PQM). PQM serves as a primary mechanism to help ensure the quality, safety, and efficacy of medicines essential to USAID priority diseases, particularly malaria, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis.
PQM Program Objectives
Supported by knowledgeable staff and state-of-the-art facilities around the world, PQM strives to accomplish four key objectives:
- Strengthen quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) systems
- Increase the supply of quality assured medicines
- Combat the availability of substandard and counterfeit medicines
- Provide technical leadership and global advocacy
Global Impact
USP–USAID collaborative efforts have helped communities improve drug quality in more than 35 countries. PQM currently works in the following regions (visit links to view maps and country details):
PQM News & Resource Center
PQM Activities
Gain an understanding of the many activities PQM carries out to fulfill its key program objectives.



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