– Minister censures inflated prices implied by Kaieteur News
MINISTER of Health, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran yesterday addressed what he called “the mischief of the myth of the pathological, spurious counterfeit claims of these inflated prices $8,000 vs. a few hundred dollars” made by the Kaieteur News. Reporting to the media during yesterday’s post-Cabinet media briefing, Dr. Ramsaran focused on the probe into the alleged claims of pricing irregularities in the procurement for the purchase of medications for the health sector.
Stating that information regarding specific products was examined, the minister shared the following:
* Depo Provera, a contraceptive injection for females, was purchased for $1,561 in 2011 and not $8,000. This price for this pre-syringed 150mg – 3ml product has had a slight increase in 2012 to $1,957.
* Asprin: a package size of 1,000 aspirin tablets with a dosage of 300 mg costs $485 and dropped in 2012 to $468. The fictitious price claimed was $2,700.
* Atenonol, a frequently used drug -the claim was that the ministry was expending $18,000 on a 1,000 package size of this product. In 2011 the price paid was $1,165 and in 2012 $1,461, for the 50 mg tablets, 1,000 package in size. For 100 mg, the ministry paid in 2011, $1,693 and this year $1,985.
Regarding the issue of the skin creams, Dr. Ramsaran noted that while the prices were $1,990 for ketoconazole and miconozole at $2,578, there is the burning of caution and the need to be on guard.
Pointing to his recent attendance at a World Health Organisation (WHO) Conference, he stated that one of the major concerns raised there was of substandard, spurious, falsely labelled, falsified counterfeit drugs. Dr. Ramsaran noted that while there have been many interventions by the WHO on this issue, it was noted that these kinds of drugs are moving towards emerging economies where there may be a lack of monitoring functions.
The Health Minister said that Guyana is looking at this and the standards for pre- qualification by the WHO, which includes that the product must be able to stand up to scrutiny in the country where it is produced, and be part of the WHO certification scheme for commerce.

EXPIRED DRUGS
On the issue of inventory management to deal with expired drugs, the Health Minister stated that systems are being improved at the MMU (Materials Management Unit). He explained that a Change Management Scheme consultancy has over the past few years been installing software and other systems and training staff in the central bond and other major locations. However, this only accounts for about 80 to 85% of distributed quantities of pharmaceuticals.
While expressing the hope of achieving comprehensive monitoring, Dr. Ramsaran noted that there are challenges with training and retaining staff.
Meanwhile, even as the ministry is aiming for a ‘first in first out system’ drugs are still expiring. However, there are plans to start from scratch with a new bond in Diamond. This will be under a transitional management, and issues will be dealt with including drugs expiring, in addition to medical equipment. He noted that stored material from the old bond at Farm, East Bank Demerara will not be decanted into the new facility.
The issue of requisition for drugs, the forms and their preparation in a timely fashion will be addressed focusing on human errors and disciplinary methods.
The MOH will also be preparing standard treatment guidelines to deal with doctors’ use of medication. This will ensure that drugs don’t pile up whilst doctors seek new ones. “In this way we will be able to identify drugs that may pile up and those that would be withdrawn,” the minister stated.
The new bond will be managed in a military-like fashion, involving the Auditor General. This will ensure no slippage or disappearance of drugs and the management for the transition has been ceded to a foreign consultancy.
Regarding the tender process, Minister Ramsaran said he is satisfied that the process according to the laws of Guyana has been followed.
The National Procurement and Tender Board (NPTB) approved two companies as pre-qualified to supply the Ministry of Health with medical supplies. The International Pharmaceutical Agency was not one of the companies pre-qualified and with respect to the firm seeking answers on disqualification; all questions related to contract tenders should be addressed to NPTB, he advised.