New management system for medical drugs and supplies

The Public Health Ministry is expected to implement countrywide a new management system for medical drugs and supplies. This will allow pharmacists and other officials responsible for the distribution of medical supplies to reflect a more accountable monitoring system.

Subject Minister Volda Lawrence told the Government Information Agency (GINA) that there would be more stringent monitoring and record keeping of supplies received and distributed, as stricter monitoring of these supplies can contribute to fewer instances of drug shortages throughout the country.

“We are also almost 99 percent complete (with) the new structure that we will put in place to monitor the receipt and issue and transfer and write-off of drugs and gifts received. So I am hoping that somewhere by the end of this month, I will be able to present that to cabinet,” Lawrence said.

The minister noted that the system would be rolled out in the various regions, to ensure that there is monitoring and that the Ministry can capture data on consumption patterns. “So when we’re ordering, we’re ordering based on needs, and not just ordering based on some other figures pulled from here or there,” Lawrence explained.

The training and employment of pharmacists will complement the newly implemented drugs and materials management system. “We are also looking at putting some more pharmacists into the system, and we believe that is going to help to alleviate the strain, because a lot of the issues have to do with persons doing multiple jobs, and so you have cross-cutting,” Minister Lawrence explained.

According to Lawrence, a shortage of staff is affecting the proper monitoring of the medical supplies system. “So we are trying to ensure that we close those gaps and continue to work with the staff,” she said.

The management system which will be put in place will provide detailed data and guidance on drugs and medical supplies, from the stage of tendering to the final stages of distribution and consumption.

Last Thursday, the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Social Services visited the Diamond Diagnostic Centre and discovered shortages of drugs and medical supplies, along with a host of many other serious issues. The team included Opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) Dr Vindhya Persaud and Dr Vishawa Mahadeo.

The Public Health Ministry has said it is seeking to train and deploy more pharmacists countrywide to complement the new management system. In the interim, the ministry is exploring other options of addressing drug shortages in the shortest possible time.