As the Government moves to adopt this purchase process for basic medicine that is readily available in the local pharmacies, adopting this process also means that the Government will be required to establish a proper medicine storage warehouse.
STO.mv
Just like the food we eat or the vitamins we take, one of the most important things to take into consideration before consuming anything is the authenticity of the product. When it comes to produce, we often check whether the produce is fresh and safe to eat depending on how organically produced the goods are as well as the cost compared to the quality of the products. This same theory applies to almost everything that we use - whether it is skincare or even the clothes we wear.
Although we are often inclined to check the quality of products, oftentimes we leave it to the government, pharmacists and local authorities to know whether the medicine that we are being prescribed is authentic and the best that is available in the market. In addition to needing specific information to check the authenticity of medication, we naturally also trust authorities to take the proper steps to assure everyone's safety by providing good-quality medication. While this is the case, there have been instances where the medication available in local pharmacies lacks the quality that people would prefer in medication. With this, the new administration had decided to take some measures to provide better quality medication to the public through the ‘bulk procurement process’.
How exactly does the bulk procurement process assure better quality medication?
As the Government moves to adopt this purchase process for basic medicine that is readily available in the local pharmacies, adopting this process also means that the Government will be required to establish a proper medicine storage warehouse. This storage facility would be required to meet the prescribed standards to store medicine that is purchased in bulk quantities as well as establish a system to monitor these warehouses with the help of modern technology centrally. The process will also ensure that no middleman is involved as the bulk order will be placed directly from the manufacturer and sold to customers in the Maldives. So far, there are seven different medicines manufactured in Europe that are set to be ordered and distributed via this process.
With this, there is a higher chance that the medicine available in the market will be monitored more closely, reducing the risk of bad quality medicine being available in the market. As this major change is being implemented, the Government is set to finalize the bulk procurement process in two phases.
As the first phase kick-starts in July, the Government has announced that the first shipment of the bulk procurement process will be available in the State Trading Organisation (STO) pharmacies starting 22nd July 2024. In addition to the Government and STO, Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA), Aasandha, ENSPA, and the Finance Ministry are actively working on ensuring the proper bulk procurement process is carried out.
