Pharmaceuticals’ supply to be stabilised soon – Health Minister

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony gave assurances that Guyana’s supply of pharmaceuticals in the public system will soon be stabilised, providing facilities with the necessary drugs to treat patients.

During a recent press briefing, he acknowledged that there is a shortage of some medications at hospitals and health centres. Supplies from a four-month emergency purchase are now arriving at the Materials Management Unit and will be dispatched immediately across the regions.
“We have been replenishing the drugs that the regions would like to have. We have not stabilised the situation. Not everything that the region wants, they can get right now. There are still a few drugs that would be short. As we get those crates coming into the MMU, we’re trying to manage that. Earlier in the year, we did a four months emergency procurement and the orders for that is now coming in. As fast as we get it, we’re not keeping it centrally. We’re sending it out to the regions,” Dr Anthony informed.
He further stated that tenders were opened for a larger purchase of 10 months, that will stabilise the system. Presently, the health sector is functioning with approximately 80 per cent of the required drugs. Going forward, the Ministry has sought to create a list of only required medicines so as to prevent wastage or expired drugs sitting in storage.
“Once it’s evaluated and awarded, we will then have medicines for the next 10 months. We’re working very quickly to try to stabilise the situation but I do recognise that there are items that would be short. But generally, across the board we have 80-85 per cent of what they require…As you update that list, that is going to be your reference or your baseline to buy these medicines. So we have been working on that list.”
On Thursday, an audit into the health sector found an additional $1.1 billion in expired medical drugs, purchased since the last Administration. Government would have ordered the audit after over $10 billion in expired pharmaceuticals had to be dumped in recent months. The expired drugs were purchased under the last coalition Government and uncovered when the new Administration took office last August.
It was reported that they were able to further validate current stocks in the medical system, amounting to $11.5 billion. The Minister said through these efforts, authorities were able to ascertain the status of facilities and replenish medicines before there is a complete shortage.
In March, Dr Anthony revealed that since taking over the Ministry in August of 2020, over 300 truckloads of expired medication had to be dumped from the MMU – the central storage bond of the Health Ministry.
He had said that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government inherited a “crisis” in relation to the quantity of expired medication being stored at MMU, and within five years, the Health Ministry had to dump over $10 billion worth of expired drugs and materials because of mismanagement.