THE Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) is partnering with the private sector, the Caribbean Regulatory System (CRS) and PAHO/WHO to ensure that medication imported to Guyana is effective, safe and affordable.

As such, representatives of the MoPH, PAHO/WHO, CARICOM and Government Analyst Food and Drug Department (GA-FDD) met with suppliers and other stakeholders to address drug procurement guidelines and strategies for importation.

The meeting was entitled, ‘Strengthening Function and Regulatory Capacity utilising the Caribbean Regulatory System in Guyana’ and was hosted at the Roraima Duke Lodge on Tuesday, 13 February.

Presenting opening remarks on behalf of the Public Health Minister, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Karen Boyle said that even as the government encourages private sector investments it must ensure that the drugs provided to its citizens are tested and safe.

“We recognise that we don’t have the capacity, the skills to do the drug testing ourselves and so we welcome the initiative of the Caribbean Regulatory System that provides those services for us and other territories within the Caribbean because without that, it will become very difficult for us to ensure or guarantee that the meds that people are using are indeed safe,” she explained.

Boyle said, too, that if unregistered and untested drugs are let into the local market they can pose to be fatal when they misrepresent the right dosage or prove to be of poor quality.

“If we’re importing substandard drugs, if we don’t have this regulatory system, drugs could be imported by the private sector that are not standardised and not of a certain quality and that could indeed jeopardise the outcome of those patients,” Boyle said, adding:
“This is our way of ensuring that we keep our population safe and that we ensure that whatever drugs are provided are good and wholesome.”

Addressing the gathering, Director of the GA-FDD, Marlan Cole, spoke on the importance of drug registration and said that he was pleased to see that Guyana has positioned itself to benefit from the regulatory system through partnership with PAHO.

“The system is very reinsuring in its objective, the system is very fair and transparent because ultimately what we want to ensure is that the drug that are on our local market are safe medications and are accessible to all,” he said.

Companies must register with GA-FDD
The meeting also served to advise suppliers on the procedures and new regulations for the tendering process which will ensure that their products and companies they partner with are registered with the Government Analyst Food and Drug Department.

Director for Materials Management Unit at the MoPH, Cecil Jacques, told those gathered that the Ministry of Public Health is working to win the battle against drug shortages as it aims to provide the best quality drugs to its citizens.

The health ministry is responsible for forecasting quantifications of drugs for all 10 regions and has over 3.5 billion dollars worth in drugs stored to do business. The drug is supplied through the national budget and other programmes.

With these available finances, the director says that cost takes the backbench while evaluation criteria such as quality, availability and responsiveness, which have been lacking in some suppliers, take the forefront.

Jacques explained that in times past the MoPH has taken the blame when suppliers failed to fulfill on arrangements resulting in the country’s medicine demand surpassing its available supplies.

“If your batch for some reason has been recalled by the manufacturer, if your batch arrives out of ‘cold chain’ and we believe it has lost its integrity, you have to be responsive to replace them…cost is the least important to us at this time,” he stressed.

The director also reminded suppliers to secure a copy of the Primary Healthcare (PHC) Standard Treatment Guidelines (STGs); ensure that they register with the GA-FDD and cautioned that the ministry will only procure medicines on its Essential Medicine List.

In-between sessions, ANSA McAl Pharmaceutical Manager, Sunesh Maikoo, told the newspaper that the information relayed at the meeting makes the job of suppliers easier and allows for equal opportunity.

“I think it is an eye opener for many suppliers because I don’t think they were aware, and, to know that NPTA has everything on the website is even better,” Maikoo said, adding:
“It’s the way forward for the procurement of cost effective and efficacious pharmaceuticals. As an importer I’m very happy about this that everyone is on a level playing field.”