Questions? Our "Frequently Asked Questions" section addresses many common issues. For more technical questions or help establishing your program, please contact Axios, the program administrator directly.

FAQ

Diflucan® (fluconazole) Is Diflucan® a cure for AIDS? Is this a clinical trial? Can anyone living with HIV/AIDS use Diflucan®? Will Diflucan® be provided free for vaginal candidiasis (thrush) for HIV-infected people? Are there risks associated with the use of Diflucan®?
The Diflucan® Partnership Program Who is eligible? What are the costs involved? Who is involved?
The Application Process How do I apply? Who is my contact? Why are applications reviewed? What are the review criteria? How long does the review process take? How will I know if I will receive the donation? What happens when my application is approved? Do I have to complete the entire application if I want to request a repeat donation? What happens if my application requires clarifications?
Privacy May I look at this site without signing in? Who sees my information?
Technical Issues How do I read the documents in Adobe Acrobat® (PDF) format? What if I have a problem with the forms?

For more information, please review the Web site. If you do not find what you need, contact Axios, the program administrator, and you will receive a personalized answer within five working days.

Diflucan®

• Is Diflucan® a cure for AIDS?
  No, Diflucan® does not treat HIV/AIDS, but as an antifungal medicine it treats life-threatening opportunistic infections. In this program, Diflucan® is being donated to treat two fungal infections, cryptococcal meningitis and esophageal candidiasis, that are associated with HIV/AIDS. Diagnosis is made by a health care professional.

• Is this a clinical trial?
  No. Diflucan® was approved in 1994 in the United States and has a proven record of safety and efficacy. The Diflucan® Partnership Program is a donation program.

• Can anyone living with HIV/AIDS use Diflucan®?
  No. Only people who have been diagnosed with cryptococcal meningitis or esophageal candidiasis by a health care professional should be treated with Diflucan®.

• Will Diflucan® be provided free for vaginal candidiasis (thrush) for HIV-infected people?
  No. Diflucan® provided by the Diflucan® Partnership Program is only for the treatment of cryptococcal meningitis and esophageal candidiasis.

• Are there risks associated with the use of Diflucan®?
  There are risks associated with use of any medicine. However, it is important to understand that the Diflucan® Partnership Program is not a clinical trial. Diflucan® has been approved and has been used for over 14 years for the treatment of cryptococcal meningitis and esophageal candidiasis, and other indications. For additional information, please see the package insert for Diflucan® for donation programs (91K Adobe Acrobat document) or the prescribing information for South Africa (38K Adobe Acrobat document ) and/or the summary below:

DIFLUCAN® (FLUCONAZOLE) The product information provided in this site is intended only for non-United States residents. The products discussed herein may have different product labeling in different countries. Important Product Information Systemic In more than 4,000 patients, who received multiple doses of Diflucan®, the most common adverse events were nausea (3.7%), headache (1.9%), skin rash (1.8%), vomiting (1.7%), abdominal pain (1.7%), and diarrhea (1.5%). Diflucan® has been associated with rare cases of serious hepatic toxicity, including fatalities, primarily in patients with serious underlying medical conditions. Patients who develop abnormal liver function tests should be monitored for the development of more severe hepatic injury. Patients have rarely developed exfoliative skin disorders during treatment with Diflucan®. Coadministration of terfenadine is contraindicated in patients receiving Diflucan® at multiple daily doses of 400 mg (equivalent to 12 mg/kg pediatric doses or higher) or higher. Coadministration of cisapride is contraindicated in patients receiving Diflucan® . Pediatric In 577 children, ages one day to 17 years, who received Diflucan® , the most common treatment-related side effects were vomiting (5.4%), abdominal pain (2.8%), nausea (2.3%), and diarrhea (2.1%). For additional information, please see the package insert for Diflucan® for donation programs (91K Adobe Acrobat document) and/or the prescribing information for South Africa (38K Adobe Acrobat document).

The Diflucan® Partnership Program

• Who is eligible?
  The Diflucan® Partnership Program is open to governments and nongovernmental organizations in all developing countries. Countries with HIV/AIDS prevalence greater than 1 percent will be given priority. The donated medicine is to be used only for HIV/AIDS patients suffering from cryptococcal meningitis and/or esophageal candidiasis.

• What are the costs involved?
  The Diflucan®Partnership Program offers Diflucan® for free and will cover the shipping costs up to the port of entry into the recipient country. All other costs including costs of the handling, taxes and duties, and distribution in the country will be the responsibility of the applicant.

  Diflucan® must be provided free of charge to the patient.

• Who is involved?  
  Pfizer Inc provides Diflucan® to IMA World Health. IMA World Health reviews and approves the applications and provides the medicine to successful applicant organizations. Axios manages the application as well as the resupply processes. The International Dispensary Association (IDA) is responsible for shipping.

The Application Process

• How do I apply?
  Applicants interested in applying to receive Diflucan® must complete a simple application. The application and the subsequent review process are designed to ensure that each application is assessed in a rapid and consistent manner. Axios assists with the review of all applications.

  If you have any issues that cannot be resolved through this Web site, please contact Axios International (See the next question for contact information).

• Who is my contact?
  Under the direction of the Diflucan® Partnership Program, Axios is the primary contact in all eligible countries. You can contact Axios at the address and links below:

  Diflucan® Partnership Program
  Axios International
  Parklane Courts
  Plot 2, Park Lane, Kololo
  Behind Shell Lugogo
  P.O. Box 6924
  Kampala
  Tel: +256 31 264 475
  or +256 414 340 807
  Fax: +256 414 340 642
  DiflucanPartnership@accesstotreatment.org
  www.diflucanpartnership.org

• Why are applications reviewed?
  Applications are reviewed to ensure that the donated Diflucan® will be used appropriately. It is important that the Diflucan® Partnership Program partners and the program receiving Diflucan® have a common understanding of who will benefit from Diflucan®, how it will be delivered and how it will be used.

• What are the review criteria?
  Click here to read the review criteria.

• How long does the review process take?
  Within five days of receiving your completed application, Axios will screen it to ensure it is ready for a detailed, technical review, and inform you if any additional information is needed.

If your application requires additional work before its technical review, you may re-edit the form online and re-submit it. If your application does not require additional work, it will be carefully reviewed according to the review criteria.

You will be notified if your application meets these guidelines. If it does, your Diflucan® donation will commence. If the reviewers conclude that the application does not meet the guidelines, Axios will work with you to clarify or amend your application. Once the proposal meets the requirements outlined in the review criteria, Axios will recommend that it be considered for approval.

• How will I know if I will receive the donation?
  Each applying institution will receive an e-mail from Axios to the applicant organization, and include feedback on the application and quantity of Diflucan® that will be shipped. Details concerning the quantity of drugs, timeline and shipping procedures will be defined with the responsible institution.
• What happens when my application is approved?
  The institution must provide the exact shipping address and other information required for sending the drug to the country (e.g., invoice, packing list, import license, pre-shipment inspection, etc.) After complete shipping instructions have been received by Axios, the organization will be notified of the shipment schedule. The freight forwarder or the International Dispensary Association may contact the person responsible for shipping to obtain information.

  The prescription and use of Diflucan® requires the donated product to be registered in the country of use. If these dosage forms and indications of Diflucan® are not registered, the applying organization must secure and provide to Axios a special import license, waiver or any other documentation required by the government of the country to receive this donation of medicine.

  The Diflucan® Partnership Program will offer Diflucan® for free and will cover the shipping costs up to the port of entry into the recipient country. All other costs will be the responsibility of the recipient organization including costs of handling, taxes and duties, and distribution in the country.

  Do I have to complete the entire application if I want to request a repeat donation?
  No. Once an institution has received the first donation of Diflucan®, the request for resupply is straightforward. The institution will be asked to complete a Reorder Form that outlines the quantity of Diflucan® requested and the justification for the amount. The Diflucan® Partnership Program retains the right to audit any facility.
• What happens if my application requires clarifications?
  If the information provided in your application is not sufficient to give Axios a level of comfort to recommend your program, you will be requested to implement specific changes and revise it. Axios will be happy to assist you or put you in contact with the relevant international institutions that can assist you.

Privacy

• May I look at this site without signing in?
  You are welcome to browse this Web site anonymously. We only require you to sign in if you have a question or need help with your application.

• Who sees my information?
  Only the application manager has access to your information and will keep it confidential. For more information, please see our privacy policy.

Technical Issues

• How do I read the application and/or documents in Adobe Acrobat® (PDF) format?
  You need the Acrobat Reader program. You can download it now free of charge from Adobe's Web site.

• What if I have a problem with the forms?
  If you have trouble viewing the forms or have a technical problem with this Web site, please send an e-mail to DiflucanPartnership@AccessToTreatment.org , detailing your problem, the page and the circumstances under which you encountered it. Axios will respond to your question in five working days.