Promoting Rational Drug Use in the Community

Advocacy and Networking

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Advocacy and NetworkingSession Objectives

Importance of collaboration Effective advocacy Principles of networking Various networks

Exchange of experience and discussion

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Collaboration - why?

multiplication of strengths sharing of skills and strengths use limited resources effectively learn lessons from others bringing together different actors

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Effective advocacy

Understand the problem Define your objectives Focus your ideas

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Identify influence Who makes decisions? How are decisions made? What is the time-frame? What are key moments?

preparation is critical understanding the rules of the game

enables you to become a player.

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Get to know decision makers

Who are they? Are they accessible? Do they know you and your purpose? Do they hear from you regularly? What can you do for them?

• Information• Access to your group• Press coverage for positive action

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Build a strong case

Anticipate counter arguments Select useful facts and examples Formulate goals carefully Deal positively with criticism

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Identify allies and helpful experts Look at different levels of influence Look at those who partially share your

views Look at different roles

• the expert witness• the popular hero• the powerful voice

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How do you get a result like this?In a hard-hitting speech to the British pharmaceutical

Conference in Glasgow, Princess Anne said firms should focus on effective long-term measures such as cutting drug prices rather than short-term publicity stunts.

The princess, an honorary fellow of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, which organised the conference, also warned that basic disease prevention measures, such as immunisation programmes, were in decline in many countries. She said donations of medicines often failed to cover their distribution costs, which sapped other scarce health spending.”(IP-Health Sept 2001)

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Identify and understand your opponents

Who are they? What are their reasons? What are their interests? What strategy are they likely to adopt? Can you dialogue with them? Do you have good counter-arguments?

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Develop a campaign timeframe

Don’t wait till the last minute Make the most of a launch moment How to keep momentum Windows of opportunity Do you need to end?

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Evaluation

Look carefully at your campaign What are the lessons? What have you gained? Have their been negative spin-offs? Do you need to modify your strategy?

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Networking

Communication and cooperation between groups and individuals sharing a commitment to a common goal, ideal or objective.

Sharing resources and/or ideas Providing mutual support and assistance

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Networks: different forms

national/international informal/more structured virtual/face-to-face short-term/long-term small selective/open

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What makes networks effective?

mutual trust and solidarity active participation decentralised activities clearly shared goals coordination flexibility for rapid response expertise and experience cooperation and collaboration resources for key activities

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Threats and pitfalls

lack of money lack of focus inability to agree on strategy and

priorities domination by one or few partners tendency to centralise power/resources

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get in touch with othersallies, sympathetic experts etc

ideas and examples attention for your work potential funding contacts back-up in trouble

How can you use networks?

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What can you contribute?

share your successes help others get started share information share expertise give support to others

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Advocacy Activity 1: First Task choose an objective

Implementation of existing law or ethical criteria to regulate drug promotion (can aim to confront OTC advertising, DTCA and ‘undercover’ ads etc)

Inclusion of RDU education in primary school curriculum

Increasing access to safe, effective and affordable GENERIC drugs

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Advocacy Activity 1: Second task Discuss the advocacy objective selected:

what exactly do you want to achieve? If needed, formulate sub-objectives for the advocacy campaign.

Brainstorm: who do you need to collaborate with? Who is likely to resist? Make a list of stakeholders.

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MSF campaign to increase access to drugs: sub-objectives

Achieve health exception in trade agreements

Overcome access barriers Stimulating research and development

for neglected diseases

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Advocacy Activity 1: Third taskStakeholder analysis

Which stakeholders have you identified? Are they likely to resist or support your

advocacy objective. What arguments will be used to resist?

In what way will you be able to collaborate with stakeholders who support your objectives?

How will you deal with resistance? How will you respond to the counter arguments?

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Activity 2: PRDU by consumers: 1) reflect on existing networks/networking Who promotes rational use of drugs by

consumers in your country? Do these people work together? Do they

share successes and failures? Do they support each other? Consider also electronic networks?

If they do not network, why not?

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2) Activity 2: How to strengthen country PRDU by consumers networks Brainstorm about the ways in which we

can strengthen our efforts to promote rational use of drugs by consumers by means of networking

Write ideas on a whiteboard/flipchart Select three key activities/good ideas,

and present in plenary

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Summary advocacy and networking

Develop clear objectives and an advocacy plan

Be imaginative in identifying partners and allies

Be creative in using windows of opportunity Find out about international and national

networks in which you can participate Maybe you need to create your own network

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Summary framework

Advocacy

Components Strategies•Research

•Stakeholder analysis•Plan•Activities•Evaluation

•Networking

•Collaboration

•Lobbying