Access to Medicine Index Governance

The Access to Medicine Foundation is a fully independent, not-for-profit organization established to enhance worldwide access to essential drugs. It aims to reach that goal by creating, monitoring, reviewing and publishing the Access to Medicine Index.

To safeguard the independence, impartiality and reliability of the Access to Medicine Index, the foundation is governed by transparent, publicly available codes and conflict of interest policies.

The Board

The Board is responsible for all policies and operations of the Access to Medicine Foundation. It maintains and updates the organizational framework, it defines and updates the organization’s general policies and rules, including a Code of Ethics and a Conflict of Interest Policy, and oversees their implementation.

Membership of the Board should reflect the different groups of stakeholders sharing its objectives.

Advisory Committee

The Advisory Committee presents independent advice to the Foundation’s other governing bodies. Membership of the Advisory Committee should reflect the range of stakeholders sharing the objective of enhancing global access to medicines, including governments, investors, NGOs, academia and experts from the pharmaceutical industry. Members do not receive remuneration but are entitled to reimbursement of reasonable expenses.

Index Executive Committee

The Index Executive Committee was added to the Foundation’s Governance Charter in April, 2008; the Foundation is currently seeking to fill the Committee’s positions.

The Index Executive Committee will oversee the maintenance of the Access to Medicine Index. As such, it will be responsible for creating and updating the Index methodology as well overseeing measurement, monitoring, review and publications by staff members and outside contractors. Its membership will reflect the range of stakeholders sharing the objective of improving global access to medicines. Committee members are knowledgeable in the area of improving global access to medicines. Representatives from the pharmaceutical industry may be members of the Committee, but they do not vote on matters related to Index scores or measurements.

The Index Executive Committee ensures that the Index remains responsive to and consistent with market expectations and global developments. It collects and evaluates comments on the Index from stakeholders and decides on any necessary adjustments.

Tasks of the Index Executive Committee include:

• Monitor, review and publish Index criteria, indicators and metrics;
• Monitor, review and publish rules under which research is carried out;
• Monitor, review and publish rules under which the index is published;
• Review Index outcomes before publication;
• Invite comments from stakeholders and the Advisory Committee on all aspects of the Index;
• Evaluate comments;
• Publish evaluation results and conclusions;
• Oversee outside data suppliers and/or other contractors;
• Rule on appeals by third parties against Index components or their implementation.