Health Ministry 'facing shortage of medicines'

Health Ministry 'facing shortage of medicines'


Mutual cooperation: Deputy Minister of Health Pehin Dato Paduka Haji Hazair (L), talking with Dr Jane Robertson, World Health Organisation Consultant, during the ceremony at the Royal Brunei Polo and Riding Club, Jerudong.Picture: BT/ Saifulizam
UBAIDILLAH MASLI
BRUNEI-MUARA

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Some imports are of low quality and don't comply with world standards

THE Ministry of Health (MoH) is facing a shortage of medicines, the deputy health minister said yesterday.

"Despite all the efforts made by the MoH through the Department of Pharmaceutical Services to ensure continuous and (sufficient) supply and stock of drugs and medicines, drug supplies are occasionally affected due to multi-faceted reasons," said Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Laila Diraja Dato Paduka Hj Hazair Hj Abdullah.

The deputy minister highlighted that among the reasons were problems with acquiring medicines from abroad. He said that pharmaceutical procurement based on open international tenders resulted in a large number of offers, and although they might be reasonably priced, they may be of low quality.

The deputy minister was speaking during the opening ceremony of the "Training Course on the Principles of Pharmacoeconomics and Its more Effective Application — Introductory and Intermediate Level," which was held at the Royal Berkshire restaurant of the Jerudong Polo and Riding Club.

He said that products delivered sometimes did not comply with the international standards of efficacy, quality and safety.

Other factors included delays in deliveries with new and unknown suppliers, manufacturing problems, supply and demand imbalance and problems with raw materials. The improper stock-taking and distribution of medicine were other important reasons which needed to be considered.

Pehin Dato Hj Hazair announced that a total of $60 million, including a supplementary budget of $30 million, has been allocated for the purchase of medicines in the 2008-2009 period, which is an increase of $16 million compared with last year's budget. In 2007, a total of 594 Named Patient Basis Prescriptions cost the government more than $4.2 million, according to records from Ripas Hospital. The newly introduced Named Patient Basis Prescriptions is a scheme which allows doctors to subscribe a drug outside the National Standard Drug List (NSDL), which entails 825 different chemical entities comprising 1,287 different preparations.

The deputy minister suggested that in order to overcome this challenge in public health, a sound strategy needs to be implemented and embedded with all the principles and a framework of ethical and rational use of medicines. He urged health professionals to be "sensitised" to the issue non-patient compliance and the patient's possible lack of understanding of proper medicinal usage, stating that professionals should be trained.

The six-day course is aimed at developing participants' knowledge and enhancing their skills in evidence-based medicine to assist them in formulary and purchasing decisions of medicines. These aspects must be taken care of in a dedicated manner to ensure success of education in promoting good use of medicines.

The Brunei Times