Maila,

Thank you for your efforts. I must caution everyone concerned and the donating public that prescription medication can be extremely valuable but dangerous at the same time. I was excited about participating in this effort and my involvement is contingent upon establishment of a chain of custody, inventory of the drugs, and proper delivery and dispensing to prospective patients.
We must document for all here what drugs formed part of the first shipment via Pa Deen. I joined the effort after that shipment and I am not comfortable with the content of that batch and any future batch until we do some diligent homework. I wish to urge all who intended to donate or contribute to this effort to channel their goodwill toward the stationery and school supplies instead until we can be assured of safety and the chain of custody for the
medication.

I know that all involved in the effort are doing so out of philanthropy and any oversight or error issues inadvertently. However, we must ensure that the adverse effects of error and oversight are not mind-altering or life threatening. Prescription medication is strictly regulated to the extent that most countries do not accept shipments of such medication without a manifest indicating a chain of custody and an inventory of the drugs. Also, prescription
medication must be ordered and received by competent medical authority.

Some of the drugs in the first batch are dispensed for mental conditions. They have serious side-effects. That is why in the U.S., even doctors do not have possession of these drugs to dispense as they see fit. They have to issue prescriptions for the pharmacies to dispense and the drugs must have been approved by the FDA. This establishes a verifiable chain of custody from the manufacturer to the patient. The way the first batch of drugs were shipped was
dangerous at best. So I wish to do due-diligence for safety.

I have been referred to this site www.drugawareness.org I have not visited the site yet but I intend to soon. I urge all concerned to visit it. I am told one of the drugs in the shipment was discussed there. I would appreciate any of my colleagues to enlighten us further. My reservations at this time stem only from my discomfort at non-inventory and no chain of custody.

I will stop here for now until I do more research. I urge that the batch that was shipped be intercepted and detained pending further information. I would encourage the involvement of WHO rep in Gambia and the Gambia Public Health Authority if they have personnel knowledgeable in the drugs. My concern for safety has overridden my zeal for philanthropy. If we can ascertain safety, this is an honourable effort. I will do my best to exercise judicious
expedition in the effort.

>From: Maila Touray
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
>To: [log in to unmask]&msg=MSG1007921665.32&start=2433596&len=8433&src=&type=x">[log in to unmask]
>Subject: Letter to the Gambia L
>Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2001 00:10:34 -0500
>
>A few months ago, we asked for help from Gambians across the globe, to
>raise funds for shipping a cancer screening machine and medication to
>Gambia. These were donated to the nation of Gambia by a group of
>physicians in Atlanta. Many people donated generously either in cash or
>in
>kind, and for that we are grateful, thank you!