FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Anne Bell
301-816-8314 | adb@usp.org
Rockville, MD – October 17, 2017 - In demonstration of our continued commitment to address antimicrobial resistance, USP submitted the following action statement to the organizers of the 2017 global “Call to Action on drug-resistant infections” conference, co-hosted by the UK, Ghanaian and Thai governments, and the UN Foundation and Wellcome in Berlin on October 12 – 13, 2017.
USP Action Statement on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)
USP strives to reinforce the foundation for a healthier world by helping to assure medicines quality, and collaborating across sectors to improve public health. Quality-assured medicines underpin all AMR strategies. USP sets medicines quality standards, raises the awareness of stakeholders, and strengthens quality assurance systems, including having:
- Developed 692 monographs and reference standards that support quality testing for antimicrobial drugs and APIs. Modern testing techniques are critical to ensuring quality medicines
- Established an APEC Center of Excellence on quality in the supply chain, and shared best practices among 26 regulators from 14 APEC economies
- Launched the Quality Institute to research links between quality and AMR
- Convened events on the sidelines of WHA, UNGA, and APEC on poor quality medicines and AMR
The USAID-funded and USP-implemented, Promoting the Quality of Medicines (PQM) program strengthens regulatory and manufacturing capacity in developing countries to improve the supply of quality-assured medicines. PQM has supported 32 national regulatory agencies, including on medicines quality surveillance, increased quality-testing capacity in 80 laboratories, and supported 105 local manufacturers towards WHO PQ and stringent approval, with 13 antimicrobial APIs and products achieving this in 2016 - 2017. In addition to this work, USP implements numerous other donor-funded initiatives, partnering with governments, NGOs, and industry to strengthen quality-assurance systems to enhance access to affordable quality-assured medicines in LMICs.
USP pledges to continue to collaborate with partners in governments, NGOs, donor organizations, and others seeking to ensure medicines quality worldwide.
About USP
USP is a global health organization improving lives through public standards and related programs that help ensure the quality, safety and benefit of medicines, dietary supplements and foods. USP’s standards are used worldwide.