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HealthCare : News & General Information

Patients to be able to check authenticity of medicine under new Council of Europe scheme

(01/02/12) The EDQM (Council of Europe) has launched “eTACT”, an IT-based traceability service for medicines. eTACT is intended to become a publicly governed service for authorities and all stakeholders throughout the supply chain, including patients who will be able to verify the authenticity of their medication using smartphones or the internet.

Counterfeit medical products: 3 more countries join the Council of Europe Medicrime Convention

(18/01/11) On October 28th 2011, 12 countries paved the way for the implementation of the Medicrime Convention by signing the first international treaty which establishes as offences the manufacturing, the supplying and the trafficking of counterfeit medical products. Since then, 3 countries have joined them: Liechtenstein (4/11/2011), Luxembourg (22/12/2011) and just recently Denmark (12/1/2012).

• Read the press release on the signature of the Medicrime Convention
• Read the final conclusions of the Moscow conference

• Consult the Chart of signatures and ratifications of the Medicrime Convention

ISBT creates new award for developing countries

(18/01/12) The International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) has lately announced a new award, the ISBT Award for Developing Countries. Its purpose is to encourage blood services, centers or individuals in developing countries to develop blood transfusion activities but also to recognize their achievements in the field of blood transfusion. It will also help the ISBT bring developed and developing countries closer together by creating awareness around the challenges faced today by developing countries. The first ISBT award will be granted in July 2012.

Read the ISBT press release on the Award for Developing Countries
Go to the ISBT website for more information

Organ Transplantation: New free publication on safety, quality and ethical matters

(15/12/2011) The publication, entitled “Organs, Tissues and Cells: Safety, Quality and Ethical Matters concerning Procurement, Storage and Transplantation”, compiles all of the existing recommendations and resolutions, as well as some additional reports from the Council of Europe. It is available to download for free, in English only.

EDQM launches new web page on organ transplantation projects

(22/11/11) The EDQM has launched a new web page highlighting its various projects in the area of organ transplantation. The web page will provide comprehensive information and highlight project outcomes and achievements, such as the 3-year collaborative project to develop organ donation and transplantation activities between countries of the Black Sea area. Read the latest news on our organ transplantation projects

Workshop on Good practices for the Classification of Medicines

(18/11/11) On 8-9 November 2011, the Committee of Experts on the classification of medicines as regards their supply organised its first workshop on good practices. Press Release..

Resolution ResAP(2007)1 on the classification of medicines as regards their supply

Counterfeit medical products: twelve countries join the Council of Europe Medicrime Convention

(07/11/11) Twelve countries have paved the way for the implementation of the Medicrime Convention by signing on October 28, at the end of a two-day conference, the first international treaty which establishes as offences the manufacturing, the supplying and the trafficking of counterfeit medical products.

Read the press release on the signature of the Medicrime Convention

Read the final conclusions of the Moscow conference

The EDQM promotes organ donation

Photo european day for organ donation and transplantation

(19/10/11) On Friday, 14 October, a week away from European Day for Organ Donation, around 200 members of staff stood in a heart formation as part of a giant photo promoting organ donation. The EDQM, in cooperation with the DC, organized this communication exercise to draw attention of the European press to this great cause.

The EDQM would like to thank all of the participants.

More about the European Day for Organ Donation

On 22 October join the Council of Europe to celebrate European Day for Organ Donation & Transplantation (EODD)

(10/10/11) For 2011, Switzerland has offered to host this event, which will take place in Geneva. The idea behind this Day, initiated by the Council of Europe is to encourage debate and provide information on organ donation and transplantation. On Saturday, October 22, 2011 conferences will be held on a wide variety of topics on this subject as well as an exciting football match in support of organ donation. Find out all about EODD

Events

Executive Summary: Symposium on Implementation of Pathogen Reduction Technologies for Blood Components, 2-3 September 2010, Strasbourg, France

7-12 July 2012: 32nd International Congress of the ISBT, Cancun, Mexico

Products & Services

NEW: Guide to the Preparation, Use and Quality Assurance of Blood Components - 16th Edition (2010).

NEW: Guide to the Safety and Quality Assurance for Organs, Tissues and Cells - 4th Edition (2010)

More information under the section "Blood Transfusion & Organ Transplantation Guides".

Pharmaceutical Care: Where do we stand - where should we go?
Key concepts in Pharmaceutical Care, Quality Assessment of Pharmaceutical Care in Europe, Sources of information - Survey Report, 2009

You can now order these publications online from the EDQM Online Store.

Newsletter Transplant

Newsletter Transplant Vol 16, No 1, Sept 2011

Newsletter Transplant Vol 15, No 1, Sept 2010

Previous issues can be found on the Download section.

UN Internet Governance Forum, Nairobi, Kenya on 27-30 September 2011

Organ Transplants: What Are the Research Options, 29 March 2009, Paris, France. Download the Report.