6533b7ddfe1ef96bd1274ff6

RESEARCH PRODUCT

L'harmonisation du droit pharmaceutique en Afrique de l’Ouest : le cas de l’UEMOA

subject

description

Health protection, the setting up of health security highly depend on an organization of the pharmaceutical market by the establishment of a common pharmaceutical market. In West Africa, particularly within WAEMU, the absence of such of market eases the rise in illicit drug market and impedes a free movement of health products between States. Yet, economic development involves an effective and secured health system. WAEMU’s member States awareness is emerging gradually, hence the necessity to join forces for better health protection ; therefore the long-awaited legal integration can be done through several means ; harmonization, unification, standardization. Harmonization is the means of legal integration that WAEMU has chosen to set up more effective and elaborate standards. Reconciliation through the harmonization of pharmaceutical regulations therefore becomes a key objective, with a view to setting up health security within the community zone. Yet, this harmonization, to achieve its objective of improving pharmaceutical systems, implies an elaborate legal framework. A process of harmonization is therefore set up and materialized by the adoption of several community legal instruments : guidances ; regulations, decisions. However, it should be noted that WAEMU is not the only sub-regional organization that has objective the pharmaceutical right harmonization. Other regional and sub-regional organizations such as ECOWAS, AU, of which WAEMU States are member, target also a reconciliation by the harmonization of the pharmaceutical area. In addition to the operating difficulties, at internal and community level, there are some external impediments related to the belonging of WAEMU States to those both organizations. Those obstacles will jeopardize the effectiveness of the harmonization process. Consequently, it is necessary to reconsider the choice of reconciliation legal instruments, even if that means venturing into a mixed reconciliation of pharmaceutical regulations through a combination of two means of legal integrations : harmonization and unification.