The World Health Organization (WHO) is seeking experts to serve as members of the WHO Advisory Group for Drug Statistics Methodology. This “Call for experts” provides information about the advisory group in question, the expert profiles being sought, the process to express interest, and the process of selection.
Background
The WHO Advisory Group for Drug Statistics Methodology focuses on the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification system and the Defined Daily Dose (DDD) methodology. It supports the development and maintenance of standardized tools for drug utilization research, ensuring global consistency and comparability in pharmaceutical consumption statistics.
Functions of the WHO Advisory Group for Drug Statistics Methodology
1. Provide independent evaluation of the scientific, technical, and strategic aspects of the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification system and Defined Daily Dose (DDD) methodology.
2. Recommend priorities within WHO and relevant technical units for the advancement and improvement of the ATC/DDD classification systems.
3. Advise WHO on planned activities and approaches related to the further development and application of the ATC and DDD systems.
4. Advise WHO on the integration of ATC and DDD systems into broader health information systems.
5. Advise WHO on the integration of the International Nonproprietary Name (INN), Essential Medicines List (EML), and ATC/DDD systems, ensuring alignment and consistency between these systems to optimize drug classification, selection, and usage data in global health programs.
6. Review and make recommendations to WHO on the effectiveness and impact of the ATC and DDD classification systems, including the consistency, accuracy, and comprehensiveness of these methodologies, and propose improvements or adjustments.
Operations of the WHO Advisory Group for Drug Statistics Methodology
The AG shall normally meet twice a year. However, WHO may convene additional meetings. AG meetings may be held in person at the WHO headquarters in Geneva or another location, as determined by WHO, or virtually, via video or teleconference. The working language of the group will be English.
Who can express interest?
The WHO Advisory Group for Drug Statistics Methodology will be multidisciplinary, with members who have a range of technical knowledge, skills and experience relevant to clinical pharmacology, therapeutics, pharmacoepidemiology, public health and health system research, pharmaceutical sciences, biostatistics, data analytics or informatics. Up to 15 advisors may be selected.
WHO welcomes expressions of interest from scientists, healthcare professionals, and healthcare regulators with expertise in the following areas:
Experts in clinical pharmacology and therapeutics, with experience in drug classification, therapeutic use, and comparative pharmacology.
Professionals with demonstrated expertise in pharmacoepidemiology, particularly in drug utilization research and medicine consumption studies.
Specialists in public health or health systems research with experience using ATC/DDD methodology in health policy, planning, or monitoring of access and use of medicines.
Experts in pharmaceutical sciences, including individuals familiar with drug development, drug regulation, and classification systems.
Academics and researchers with a strong background in biostatistics, data analytics, or informatics applied to medicines data.
Professionals involved in national medicines monitoring programmes, essential medicines lists, or formularies, who use or rely on ATC/DDD data.
Individuals with knowledge of WHO Model List of Essential Medicines, INN (International Nonproprietary Names), or related WHO classification standards.
Representatives from government agencies, regulatory authorities, or international organizations with direct responsibility for medicines monitoring and classification systems.
Submitting your expression of interest
To register your interest in being considered for the WHO Advisory Group for Drug Statistics Methodology, please submit the following documents by 21.09.2025 24:00h (midnight) Geneva time to innprogramme@who.int using the subject line “Expression of interest for the WHO Advisory Group for Drug Statistics Methodology:
A cover letter, indicating your motivation to apply and how you satisfy the selection criteria. Please note that, if selected, membership will be in a personal capacity. Therefore do not use the letterhead or other identification of your employer;
Your curriculum vitae (including your nationality/ies) and
A signed and completed Declaration of Interests (DOI) form for WHO Experts, available at https://covid.comesa.int/about/ethics/declarations-of-interest.
After submission, your expression of interest will be reviewed by WHO. Only the selected individuals will be informed.
Important information about the selection processes and conditions of appointment
Members of WHO advisory groups (AGs) must be free of any real, potential or apparent conflicts of interest. To this end, applicants are required to complete the WHO Declaration of Interests for WHO Experts, and the selection as a member of a AG is, amongst other things, dependent on WHO determining that there is no conflict of interest or that any identified conflicts could be appropriately managed (in addition to WHO’s evaluation of an applicant’s experience, expertise and motivation and other criteria).
All AG members will serve in their individual expert capacity and shall not represent any governments, any commercial industries or entities, any research, academic or civil society organizations, or any other bodies, entities, institutions or organizations. They are expected to fully comply with the Code of Conduct for WHO Experts (https://covid.comesa.int/about/ethics/declarations-of-interest). AG members will be expected to sign and return a completed confidentiality undertaking prior to the beginning of the first meeting.
At any point during the selection process, telephone interviews may be scheduled between an applicant and the WHO Secretariat to enable WHO to ask questions relating to the applicant’s experience and expertise and/or to assess whether the applicant meets the criteria for membership in the relevant AG.
The selection of members of the AGs will be made by WHO in its sole discretion, taking into account the following (non-exclusive) criteria: relevant technical expertise; experience in international and country policy work; communication skills; and ability to work constructively with people from different cultural backgrounds and orientations. The selection of AG members will also take account of the need for diverse perspectives from different regions, especially from low and middle-income countries, and for gender balance.
If selected by WHO, proposed members will be sent an invitation letter and a Memorandum of Agreement. Appointment as a member of a AG will be subject to the proposed member returning to WHO the countersigned copy of these two documents.
WHO reserves the right to accept or reject any expression of interest, to annul the open call process and reject all expressions of interest at any time without incurring any liability to the affected applicant or applicants and without any obligation to inform the affected applicant or applicants of the grounds for WHO's action. WHO may also decide, at any time, not to proceed with the establishment of the AG, disband an existing TAG or modify the work of the AG.
WHO shall not in any way be obliged to reveal, or discuss with any applicant, how an expression of interest was assessed, or to provide any other information relating to the evaluation/selection process or to state the reasons for not choosing a member.
WHO may publish the names and a short biography of the selected individuals on the WHO internet.
AG members will not be remunerated for their services in relation to the AG or otherwise. Travel and accommodation expenses of AG members to participate in AG meetings will be covered by WHO in accordance with its applicable policies, rules and procedures.
The appointment will be limited in time as indicated in the letter of appointment.
If you have any questions about this “Call for experts”, please write to innprogramme@who.int well before the applicable deadline.