The International Red Cross (IRC) got its start treating soldiers on the battlefield, but now devotes most of its time to civilian disasters, said Jean-Denis Mallet, the Swiss organization’s senior pharmacist international auditor, at Pharmapack 2010 in Paris, held February 1 and 2.
The IRC still deals with conflict, said Mallet, but it is neutral, most concerned for the civilians who have been forced to leave their homes or have been mistreated. But its focus has evolved to natural disasters.
Surprisingly, the IRC does not spend that much on medicine. Only 9% of its budget goes to the purchase of drugs. Far more is spent on transportation and food.
Mallet suggests it’s a bit of a misnomer because its well-known Red Cross symbol is synonymous with hospitals and medicine, but more of its budget goes to food, water, and the expense of air travel.
The organizagion buys mostly generic, disposable injectables for emergencies, focusing on life-saving products, purchasing in small volumes.
What does the Red Cross demand of suppliers? Packages be easy to use, provide easy identification of drug and dose, and critically, deliver product protection for harsh environments. Mallet offered the following recommendations:
• No more glass—it’s too heavy and can break too easily.
• Print label information in at least three languages, primarily in French, English, and Spanish. However, with more conflicts in the Middle East, Arabic is being requested more frequently.
• Provide the simplest treatment kit with as few accessories or ancillary pieces as possible.
Common problems Mallet illustrated were shipping cases that could not take the weight of others piled on top of them, causing leakage (and damage to other cases), and breakage of sterile seals.
The accompanying photo comes from the Intl. Committee of the Red Cross Web site. Taken Jan. 19, 2010 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, the photo caption on the site reads as follows: “Staff load a truck with relief supplies at the logistics base of the International Movement of the Red Cross and Red Crescent.”
