OECS Ministers of Health will assemble in Basseterre later this week at the 19 th OECS Pharmaceutical Procurement Services (PPS) Policy Board meeting. The board meeting on July 28 th and 29 th will include a five item agenda comprising the OECS PPS’s Annual Report, budget and its five year strategic plan from 2005-2009.

The OECS Health Ministers will actually meet on Friday during which discussions will focus on broad health care issues. These issues include the status of implementation of the OECS Health Sector Reform Project, an update on the feasibility of establishing an OECS Radiotherapy Centre, and the implementation of the OECS/Global fund program to combat HIV/AIDS.

Director of the OECSPPS Unit Francis Burnett says the meeting will consider procedures towards establishing an OECS Herbal Medicine Policy. The objective of which is to regulate the use of herbal medicines to ensure that they are safe and effective.

Burnett notes that another main agenda item is the review of the OECS/PPS Surcharge including a proposed reduction of administrative fee from 15% to 13%.

“The way we operate is that on every invoice processed the government pays an additional 15 % for the administrative fee of the organisation. We began in 1986 with a turn over of 2 million dollars worth of pharmaceuticals. Overtime we have expanded our product portfolio to include pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, contraceptives and radiological products. We have increased our turnover from 2 million dollars to 10 million dollars and our clients, namely our countries have expanded from six to nine over the last seven years. That being said, our revenue has exceeded our expenses. Hence we are proposing to governments that we can now reduce the surcharge from 15% to 13 %. It will reduce the governments’ up-front cost of purchasing drugs through PPS. Countries will save close to 115 thousand dollars ( net) overall with a reduction in the surcharge.”- Burnett

The 19 th OECS/PPS Policy Board and the 8 th OECS Health Ministers’ meetings will be staged at the Mariott Hotel in Frigate Bay, about four miles south of the St. Kitts Nevis capital. The OECS Pharmaceutical and Procurement Services Unit is a semi-autonomous agency that centralizes public tendering and contracting for pharmaceutical and related products.

Contact:
Kendol Morgan Senior Communications Officer OECS Secretariat This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Raymond O’Keiffe Comm. Officer email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it