Other participants: Representatives from SEARN Members and other organizations participating in the meeting of the Assembly (please refer to the minutes of the Assembly), Pravin A Jagtap (India), Vivian Rakuomi (MTaPS), Karen Loft (TGA), Natasha Brockwell (TGA), Angela N. Oliver (USP), Jeyakhandan E (USP), Dhamari Naidoo (WHO)
Location: Virtual Meeting (the connexion information is shared by email)
Time Agenda item Lead
(Dhaka) 10:00 1 Introduction
1.1 Welcome Chair
1.2 Introduction of new members Chair / New members
The working group wished farewell to Mirawati Siregar (Indonesia) and Mrs Endang da Silva (Timor- Leste) and expressed its gratitude for the contribution to SEARN.
1.3 Adoption of the Agenda Chair / Secretariat
The agenda was adopted unchanged.
1.4 Attendance to the working group Secretariat
The members were presented with the attendance in the working group since the start of the 2023- 2024 workplan.
10:15 2 Feedback from the Steering group Chair / Secretariat
The members were informed about the discussions held during the meeting of the Steering group.
10:20 3 Discussion and adoption of drafting groups’ outputs Chair / Secretariat
10:20 3.1 AP8: Improve the use and access to reference Bangladesh standards The WG adopted the proposed output, the recommended actions in the 2024-2025 workplan, and agreed to its publication, including: the highlights from the Regional hybrid workshop on the optimal use of reference standards.
10:45 3.2 AP9: Strengthen collaboration between National Sri Lanka
Control Laboratories to develop capacity The WG adopted the proposed output, the recommended actions in the 2024-2025 workplan, and agreed to its publication, including: the template of a practical guide to testing in a country The WG highlighted that the question of payment for hands on training still required to be further discussed, and that payment from the participating NRAs may not be required in all situations.
11:10 3.3 AP14: Ensure the integrity of excipients Indonesia
The WG adopted the proposed output and agreed to its publication, including: the highlights from the Virtual workshop on testing methods for Ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol in oral liquid medicines conducted on 17 and 18 October 2023 the highlights form the engagement meeting with Industry conducted on 15 February 2024 the highlights from the engagement meeting with Poison Centers conducted on 22 February 2024 the recommendations to WHO, SEARN Members and the Assembly.
WG1 – Minutes of the meeting on 1 July 2024 Page 2 of 4
It was also agreed to conclude the dedicated action point, following up through action points ‘1 capacity building’, ‘3 information sharing’, ‘9 collaboration between NQCLs’, and the monitoring and evaluation framework.
11:30 4 Discussion and adoption of the WG proposals in the Secretariat
2023-2024 Workplan, and of the proposed rapporteurs and drafting group members The WG adopted the following proposals for the 2024-2025 Workplan:
Action Lead Support
Need Action Rapporteur Point WG WG 8 1 5 Improve the 1. Support the development and implementation Bangladesh use and of a system to facilitate sharing and testing of WG1 access to samples between the SEARN NQCLs reference 2. Support the finalisation and implementation of standards the expansion of the composition of WG1 (as needed) to support listing of suppliers of references standards and, if needed, their assessment 3. To develop a strategy to ensure alignment between NQCL needs for primary reference standards and certified reference materials (CRM) and established regional and international producers and pharmacopoeias, collect and share information about official reference standards access programmes, and support convergence on the definitions of the different categories of reference standards 4. To support Members in their risk-based approaches through identifying minimum standards for screening strategies 5. To further develop the strategy for biological references standards 9 1 Strengthen 1. Develop an MoU to be signed during the next Sri Lanka collaboration meeting of the Assembly WG1 between 2. Develop a sustainable training strategy (in National coordination with AP1) Quality 3. Develop and implement a database on the Control capacity of SEARN NQCLs Laboratories 4. Develop a Regional list of reference Quality to develop Control Laboratories capacity 5. Develop and pilot the system for collaborative testing of samples (including draft bilateral MoUs/contracts) and proficiency / inter laboratory testing with EG/DEG In addition, the working group proposed the following drafting group members to participate in the following proposed action points led by other Working groups:
WG1 – Minutes of the meeting on 1 July 2024 Page 3 of 4
Drafting Action Lead Support Need group Point WG WG member 1 2 1345 Capacity building to support Members in achieving their Nepal WG1 objectives of Maturity Level using the Global Benchmarking Tool and/or WLA status 3 4 1235 Facilitate information Sharing Bhutan WG1
5 2 134 Facilitate reliance Maldives
WG1 19 2 1345 Strengthen the capacity of SEARN Members to address Maldives antimicrobial resistance (TBC) WG1
5 Monitoring and evaluation framework: adoption of the Secretariat
results and proposed changes The WG adopted the results of the 2023-2024 exercise and the proposed changes in the Monitoring and evaluation framework.
11:50 6 Any other business Secretariat
• Date of the next meetings The WG agreed to organize the next meeting on Monday 7 October 2024.
12:00 7 Conclusion of the meeting Chair
The Chair concluded the meeting by appreciating the efforts from all members of the working group and the secretariat.
WG1 – Minutes of the meeting on 1 July 2024 Page 4 of 4
