The purpose of the Partnership Program is to support the quality use of medicines and the development and distribution of guidelines in low resource settings, usually in low- and middle-income countries.
We do this by working in partnership with government bodies, universities, and other local and international organisations to support and build local capacity in guideline development, guideline implementation and other quality use of medicine activities.
History
Ever since its establishment over 20 years ago, Therapeutic Guidelines has assisted other countries. This was mainly by providing free copies of guidelines and giving permission for Therapeutic Guidelines products to be adapted free of charge for local use in low resource settings. In 2006, these activities were consolidated into the Developing Countries Program; the Visiting Editor Program was launched the following year.
Since 2016, the program has been funded by the Therapeutic Guidelines Foundation. This enabled the appointment of dedicated staff and the expansion of activities. We are now named the Partnership Program to better reflect our collaborative approach and focus on long-term outcomes.
Activities
Free access to Therapeutic Guidelines
Our complimentary access initiative aims to provide independent therapeutic advice to healthcare workers in low resource settings who may otherwise not have access to reliable, up-to-date and independent advice to help them make the best decisions for their patients.
We provide free Therapeutic Guidelines subscriptions to healthcare workers and students who work or study in either:
- a low- or lower-middle income country (as defined by the World Bank), or
- a priority country for Australian overseas aid (see list below)
Republic of Marshall Islands | Samoa | Solomon Islands | Tokelau | Tonga | Tuvalu | Vanuatu
A request for free access via the Partnership Program from an individual or institution may be rejected on the basis that it is not consistent with the purposes of the Partnership Program, even if the eligibility criteria above are met. Similarly, an individual or institution that does not meet the eligibility criteria for Program complimentary access may be given access at the discretion of the Therapeutic Guidelines CEO.
Local guideline development support
We assist with the development of local standard treatment guidelines by providing tailored support for country-led guideline projects. For past projects this has included permission for countries to adapt Therapeutic Guidelines content, linking guideline writers with relevant Australian experts, working with local guideline writing groups to develop a process suitable for their setting, and providing project management, editorial and publishing expertise.
In recent years, we have assisted the Ministries of Health in Fiji, Kiribati and Tuvalu to revise their antibiotic guidelines and Fiji to update their respiratory guidelines. We are currently completing a large project in collaboration with the Burnet Institute to assist the PNG National Department of Health to write the first edition of their national antimicrobial guidelines.
Support for in-country implementation activities - the Guideline Host app
Guideline Host is an offline-first mobile application which we implement in partnership with countries to host their locally developed or endorsed guidelines, essential medicines lists and other resources. The app makes it easier for health practitioners to find the information they need at the point of care and has been specifically developed for settings where internet access is unreliable.
Since 2018, we have launched apps for Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu and the apps have been downloaded by over 10,000 individuals in the three countries.
Other quality use of medicines activities
We provide support to partner countries for guideline implementation, workshops and training, medicines-related community awareness campaigns and other quality use of medicines activities.
We also offer an observership (previously called the Visiting Editor Program) for international health professionals working in guideline development or quality use of medicines to facilitate an exchange of experiences and ideas. Since 2007, we have hosted ten fellows from India, Cuba, Tonga, Palau, Philippines, Kiribati, Nigeria, Argentina, Moldova and Bhutan. The observership is offered to invited candidates based on the needs of the candidate and capacity within the Partnership Program.
Regional focus
We mostly work with our near neighbours in the Pacific and prioritise countries in the Pacific and South-East Asia. However, our complimentary access program supports health professionals in low resource settings globally.
To find out more about our work or to collaborate with us, email partnershipprogram@tg.org.au.
The Partnership Program is funded by the Therapeutic Guidelines Foundation.
