The Delhi Society for Promotion of Rational Use of Drugs (DSPRUD) has announced plans to strengthen the activities of its state units by helping them identify their own programmes and generate adequate resources for the purpose. The attempt of the society would be to train the state coordinators on how to develop meaningful projects, write appropriate proposals and learn the tactics fund raising.

According to Dr Ranjit Roy Chaudhury, president DSPRUD, "the state societies would be given more decision making powers and authority to make maximum use of the funds available through various channels in the country."

As a first step, the DSPRUD has called its co-coordinators from 14 states to be part of a three day resource mobilization workshop organized here from May 24 - 26. The workshop, sponsored by the Department of Essential Medicine of the World Health Organisation is the first of its kind to be planned by WHO outside Geneva. The chief resource person for the workshop is Finlay Craig, managing director, Factsinternational, an international consultancy based in UK.

Indian experience in resource mobilization would be shared by Dr Chaudhury. Jacqeline Sawyer, external relations officer, WHO would explain about how to develop donor profiles.

The DSPRUD has also released two books, "The Delhi Model" written by Prof V S Mathur and "Enhancing Access to Quality Medicines for the Underserved" by Dr N K Gurbani on the occasion.

It was in 1996, the DSPRUD introduced a new system for drug procurement and prescription with the government hospitals of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Supported by the World Heath Organization, the centralized system enhanced the supply of prescription drugs in the hospitals, besides causing a substantial reduction in drugs procurement cost. The society's is now in the process of emulating the "Delhi Model" in other states as well.