OECS health ministers have re-affirmed their commitment to honour their financial obligations to OECS/PPS; this is among several conclusions emanating from the 20th OECS/PPS Policy Board meeting, which was recently convened in Anguilla.

Cognisant of the dwindling pool of suppliers responding to the OECS/PPS invitation to tender, the Policy Board agreed that countries should have at least 30% of uncommitted funds in their ECCB drug accounts to facilitate prompt payment to suppliers. The meeting also requested OECS/PPS to actively explore the centralized purchasing of dialysis fluids and dental supplies to further reduce the recurrent cost of health care in the OECS countries. During the meeting Ministers received the report on the Drug Utilization Review which was conducted on 2045 prescriptions in Dominica for hypertensive and diabetic patients.

The OECS Health ministers have endorsed a 4-year OECS/PPS Strategic Plan, which included key components of strengthening drug quality, monitoring the adverse reactions of antiretroviral drugs, and combating the global menace of counterfeit drugs. Managing Director of the OECS PPS Francis Burnett told the OECS News Link the policy board has been kept abreast of the strides made by his institution as a health care facilitator. Burnet added that the OECS PPS success story has been subject of many international conferences: “Ninety-one percent of prescribed drugs were available in the OECS countries across the board and at ninety-one percent this means out of  every 100 drugs prescribed in the public sector ninety-one out of one hundred were consistently available during the year under review…This is a remarkable average. It is one of the highest in the entire world. The ball park figure for the OECS countries for availability, for supply of pharmaceuticals is eighty-five percent. We have surpassed the minimum percentage at ninety-one percent and we want to assure our citizens that drugs supply in the private sector is continuous and quality is assured and that is very reassuring news for our health minister’s and our affiliates” The OECS Health Ministers’ held a special caucus discussing HIV/AIDS issues, and considered designating an area within all pharmacies for confidential counseling of all patients, including People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs).

Quality Assurance Officer of the OECS PPS Nichole Felix says there are examples in the OECS where the issue of privacy is facilitating customer comfort: “That Privacy between the pharmacist and the patient is important when you are counseling a patient. You don’t want your private information being discussed in the presence of others. You feel more comfortable and this is what we recommend when you are trying to develop a relationship between the patient and pharmacist. It definitely has to be a physical reconstruction of the pharmacy to facilitate that private information exchange between patient and pharmacist. We have seen examples already. Some pharmacies have been proactive in altering their structures in facilitating conversations between the patient and the pharmacist. .”-Felix OECS member countries are also considering standardizing antiretroviral (ARV) treatment protocols for PLWHAs, and implementing customized software to improve ARV forecasting. Dominica has agreed to host the 21st Policy Board and 10th Health Ministers meetings from 6-7 September 2007.