Deyalsingh: Nipdec may no longer be used to source medicine

He said this in reply to a query by Opposition senator Khadijah Ameen in the Senate yesterday.

He also vowed to end the lobbying of health committees by advocates with vested interests, the past occurrence which he said was a major reason for drug-shortages.

Ameen had asked if pharmaceuticals and medical paraphernalia are in short supply at public hospitals.

He said traditionally there have been shortages and he listed several remedies for the new procurement cycle.

These were the development of “prescribing protocols” with help from the Medical Association and the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), rationalisation of the national formulary (that is, a list if medicines used in public hospitals) with PAHO help, the use of IT for patient needs analysis and supply-chain management with the help of United National Population Fund, and access to the PAHO Strategic Fund. Ameen asked what shortterm measures are used to grapple with drug shortages.

Deyalsingh said there are global shortages of drugs such as certain antibiotics, anaesthetics, a named anti-psychotic drug, and drugs for oncology and chemotherapy.

He said he has sourced alternative suppliers for drugs such as morphine.

He also cited the fast-tracking of certain pharmaceuticals and spoke of strategies to seek drugs from wider sources.

Deyalsingh said the Ministry of Finance will fund Nipdec from the fiscal year’s fourth quarter rather than after budget day so that new drugs will arrive by November rather than in the following January or February as occurred previously.