National delegation attends 28th OECS/PPS Tender and TAC Meetings

A three-member team from the Medical Benefits Scheme and the Ministry of
Health represented Antigua and Barbuda at the just-concluded 28th OECS/PPS
(Organization of Eastern Caribbean States Pharmaceutical Procurement System)
Tenders Committee meeting.
In attendance were Procurement/Central Stores Manager – MBS, Keriann
Benjamin, Inventory Manager – MBS, Sandra Jonas-Margetson, and at the
Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting – Medical Officer of Health,
Ministry of Health, Dr. Oritta Zachariah. The meetings were held in St. Lucia
from May 8-13, 2023.
During the Tenders Committee meeting, May 8-11, representatives from the nine
(9) OECS Member States selected over eight hundred (800) medical products
through the prescribed tenders process.  The products will constitute the items
available for use in the public health systems across the OECS from July 1 st , 2023
– June 30 th , 2025.  Dr. Zachariah and the other Medical Officers from the OECS
Member States, who comprise the Technical Advisory Committee met on May
12 th , 2023, to review the list of medical products. During the discussions, products
were added or deleted utilizing evidence-based criteria.
The OECS/PPS also engaged representatives from the Pharmaceutical/Medical
Supply Industry in a hydride “Supplier Forum” on May 13 th . The discussions were
very frank and addressed some of the challenges faced by OECS Members States,
OECS/PPS, and the suppliers themselves. Recommendations were advanced by all
parties to mitigate against the challenges identified so that they can all have more
effective and efficient OECS/PPS procurement mechanisms, to satisfy the needs of
the health systems across the sub-region.
Director of Pharmaceutical Services, Alfred Athill, was invited to address
Members of the Tenders/TAC Committees on May 12 th and also representatives
from the industry in the Suppliers Forum.