FG introduces Digital model to boost accessibility, affordability of Essential Drugs in Tertiary Hospitals
In a bold step towards eliminating stock-outs in tertiary hospitals nationwide, the Federal Government has launched a Digital Procurement model for essential medicines. This one-stop shop aims to make essential drugs affordable and accessible to patients, while also streamlining reimbursement processes for suppliers.
At a stakeholder engagement in Abuja, focused on digital procurement of essential medicines to eliminate the ‘out-of-stock’ syndrome in hospitals nationwide, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Daju Kachollom, emphasized the need to make life-saving medicines affordable and accessible for the well-being of the Nigerian populace
She stated that the initiative aims to foster a workable collaboration that will ensure the availability of essential drugs in all tertiary hospitals, aligning with the priority placed by the Federal Government on drugs as reflected in its inclusion on the concurrent list.
The Permanent Secretary called on participants to discuss the modalities and framework in line with the National Strategy for Supply Chain Management of Essential Drugs, as approved by the Federal Government.
“Never forget that our goal is to save lives, reduce both physical and financial pain, and promote optimal health for all Nigerians,” Kachollom said.
Earlier, the Director, Hospital Services, Dr. Salahudeen Jimoh explained that adopting the new model would not only ensure reduction in cost of drugs for patients but also eliminate bottlenecks in its supply.
He added that the model would also guarantee transparency in procurement, eliminate the challenge of delayed payments that hinder drugs availability
“The costs in-between will be reduced, prices of drugs will definitely come down and the issue of out-of-stock will be drastically addressed.” He said
In his presentation on “‘The Digitized Inventory Consignment Model to End Essential Medicines Stock-Outs in all Public Health Institutions in Nigeria,” Dr. Emmanuel Okorie, CEO of EMGE Resources Ltd, described the innovation as a pioneering effort in Africa.
According to him, the scheme’s pilot in the cancer space yielded significant success, slashing medicine costs by 50% through direct manufacturer engagement.
Dr. Okorie emphasized that adopting the scheme would greatly benefit all stakeholders, ultimately contributing to Nigeria’s universal health coverage goals.
The event brought together officials of the Ministry, Representatives of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), Chief Medical Directors as well as Heads of Pharmacy and Procurement Units from health institutions across the country.
