‘Medication for Nepal’ is an online platform via Facebook group, to help connect people who are unable to find medications they need with pharmacists, who can either inform about availability or suggest alternative brands. The platform also enables geographically spread out members to search for the medication elsewhere. Furthermore, this platform connects people who are visiting Nepal to bring some medication, whatever is allowed, with people who are unable to find medication in Nepal. I started this group, because I couldn’t find medication for my mom and my grandmom, and I just had to go from shop to shop to shop and thought, what if I could just crowdsource the availability and if I can’t crowdsource get it from my friends who are visiting me. Luckily, I have been an early beneficiary of the platform and I have been able to manage drugs for my family via the platform.
There are simple guidelines to post asking for help – #Shortage #Location #District #Exact medication details and include a prescription photo. Once the request is filled, updating the status to #Filled. Secondly, for people offering to help by carrying medication to Nepal – #CTN #Departure Country #Landing Date in Nepal and what members are not willing to carry (e.g, liquid medication or medication that requires cold chain storage etc.)

Besides the platform for connecting people, most of the users in the platform are manufacturers, distributers, pharmacists, and social workers. The social workers in the platform have gone to a great extend to help people get the medication they need. They have set up tables at hospitals, had a mobile team going around to make sure the needs are posted on the platform, so that they can help crowdsource the availability. People who are responding to the needs are actually District Drug Administration, Mr. BalKrishna Khakurel, drug manufacturers, distributors and pharmacy owners. Thus, this platform is also helping to inform authorities about the scarcity to make them more aware of the ground reality.
The current admins for the Medication for Nepal platform are people whom I met via online who expressed strong interest to help people in need and be the solution center. Kabin Maleku is a pharmacist who brings in a lot of expertise of drugs, and Raghav Pokharel is a well-known activist who has been very active to initiate the offline efforts. We hope this concept of helping continues, and this realization that each of us are solution centers remains.
Join the group HERE.
#KeepSharing #MedicationForALL #MedicationForNepal