Good Governance for Medicines Programme Phase II: Development of a national GGM programme
Experience in promoting good governance shows that efforts to end corruption need two basic strategies:
- A "discipline approach,” based on legislative reforms; establishing the laws and administrative structures and processes needed to ensure transparent medicines regulation and procurement systems. The "discipline approach" tends to be top-down.
- A "values approach,” promoting institutional integrity through moral values and ethical principles and attempting to motivate ethical conduct by public servants. The “values approach” tends to be bottom-up.
A coordinated application of both strategies is required for significant impact.
The results of the assessment in Phase I - identifying the loopholes in the systems – will help countries in applying the discipline-based approach. In the light of the findings, each country will adjust its laws and administrative structures and procedures in terms of medicines regulation and supply.
At the same time, countries will need to develop a national programme that promotes good governance in medicines regulation and supply. This is a national policy document that establishes moral values and ethical principles to motivate ethical conduct. It will be developed in consultation with key stakeholders, such as Ministry of Health officials, the private pharmaceutical sector, the Ministry of Finance, civil society organizations (CSOs) and academia. This generates a sense of ownership and personal identification, essential for creating the intrinsic motivation for public servants to act ethically.