Gov’t to Spend $3.8 Billion for Pharmaceuticals

The Government has awarded 47 contracts valuing some $3.8 billion for the supply of pharmaceuticals to public facilities over the next 24 months.

A total of 728 items on the Ministry of Health’s Vital, Essential and Necessary List, are to be provided for use in the public health facilities and National Health Fund (NHF) DrugServ pharmacies for the period 2015 to 2017.

Speaking at the contract signing ceremony held today (August 26), at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston, Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson, informed that the Government has doubled the drug budget to $8 billion in order to ensure that Jamaicans can have access to essential pharmaceuticals.

“We have therefore considerably improved access to pharmaceuticals in the public health sector, and should see an even greater improvement, in the next two years, covered by the contracts,” he said.

Noting that a strong and robust health sector is essential for the attainment of the national development goals, the Minister said the country must secure gains that have been made, while improvements must be made to “those areas in which we have been lagging behind.”

He further encouraged an “inclusive” approach by all stakeholders in the strengthening of the health sector.

The NHF carried out an international competitive tender for the procurement of the pharmaceuticals.

In 2011, the NHF was given the responsibility for the procurement, warehousing, and distribution of pharmaceuticals and medical sundries for all Government-run health facilities.