WHO implements fee changes to its Prequalification of Medicines Program

Fee changes have come into force in the World Health Organization Prequalification of Medicines Program (PQP), with the WHO now planning to charge applicants for their submissions.

The PQP was originally intended to give United Nations procurement agencies, such as UNICEF, a choice of quality medicines. The program supplements its internal expertise with experts from national regulatory authorities to provide a list of prequalified medicines that comply with accepted international standards.

The externally-funded program was previously able to fund its activities through donor organizations. But in a message to supporters the WHO said that the current economic climate means it “can no longer afford to rely solely on donor funding for our on-going financial viability.”