Latest update April 25th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jul 07, 2015 News
The 2013 Auditor General Report has flagged large quantities of expired drugs and medical supplies discovered at locations throughout Guyana. The value of these products is reportedly undetermined.
The Report indicated that there were 940 expired items. At the Diamond Warehouse, 346 expired items were discovered while at the Linden Hospital Complex and Ruimveldt Offsite there were 205 and 115 items respectively. Additionally, West Demerara Regional Hospital (112 items), the Agricola Health Centre (81 items), the Diamond Hospital (67 items) and the New Amsterdam Regional Hospital (14 items) were also flagged.
Previous verification exercises have revealed large numbers of expired stock. In 2013, exercises conducted at a number of bonds and warehouses showed that there were 327 items of expired stock with an approximated value of $208.090M. “In this regard, there was no evidence that the Ministry took action to have them destroyed by the competent authority,” the 2013 AG Report stated.
According to the extensive Report, verification exercises carried out during July and August last year revealed that indeed there were “large quantities” of expired pharmaceutical and other medical supplies. These locations, the Report said, included hospitals, a warehouse and a health centre.
The Report also explained that the value of the expired stock could not have been readily determined. This was due to the fact that the Ministry of Health failed to provide the relevant information, the AG said.
The Audit Office went on to recommend that the Ministry embarks on a countrywide survey to determine the realistic needs of pharmaceuticals and other medical supplies in order to reduce losses through expired drugs. This recommendation is one that has been given in the past from the AG’s office.
In response, the Ministry said that the expired medicine must be analysed as a portion of the quantity received and issued. It added that the World Health Organisation’s standard for developing countries is five per cent of the total value of purchases.
“It should be noted also that the Ministry is currently working to ensure that accurate information is received from the Health Facilities requesting supplies,” the Ministry said. It said too that it is currently in the process of making arrangements for the destruction of the expired drugs.
The Report had also showed 202 instances of expired drugs valued at $58M had been discovered at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) during the period under review.
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