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Lagos, PATHS2, others partner on standard warehousing system for drugs

By Wole Oyebade
26 March 2015   |   5:09 am
For improved operational efficiency of medical consumables and drug warehousing in the state, the Lagos State Ministry of Health has gone into collaboration with Partnership for Transforming Health Systems II (PATHS2) and private suppliers of medicines and consumables to Lagos central medical store, Oshodi.
Image source, Fortune

Image source, Fortune

For improved operational efficiency of medical consumables and drug warehousing in the state, the Lagos State Ministry of Health has gone into collaboration with Partnership for Transforming Health Systems II (PATHS2) and private suppliers of medicines and consumables to Lagos central medical store, Oshodi.

The public-private collaboration, with the support of PATHS2, is to enhance the operation of Sustainable Drug Revolving Fund (SDRF) system, currently running in the state. Specifically, the collaboration will promote transparency and accountability of procurement of health commodities, professionalism and fairness on the part of suppliers of pharmaceuticals with respect to delivery of quality health commodities to Lagos State.

Meeting at the inaugural forum of partners, recently held in Ikeja, the state commissioner for health, represented by Dr. Modele Osunkiyesi, said the collaboration was a testimony to existing business relationship that the State had with the pharmaceutical industry.

Osunkiyesi, who is the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, sought the industry’s continuous effort to make Lagos State Medical Store the center for excellence among other States’ Medical Stores. PATHS2 State Team Leader, Dr. Ibironke Dada, reiterated the need for everyone present to perform their roles and responsibilities in ensuring the availability and accessibility of quality and affordable medicines and consumables to Lagos residents in all public health facilities.

Dada said PATHS2 was ready to support the next phase of the collaboration, adding that “the State has already been supported to develop a validated Procurement Manual & Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Oshodi Medical Stores — a foundation that will bring about an efficient and effective procurement system expected to meet the demand of health commodities in Lagos State.”

She added that procurement of health commodities, when conducted according to the provisions of the guiding manual, it will in turn ensure sustainable availability of quality health commodities at affordable price.

The suppliers were therefore encouraged to obtain all necessary certificates of registration required to qualify them as suppliers of medicines and consumables to Lagos State. PATHS2, a United Kingdom Department for International Development funded project, has been supporting Lagos state since 2010 towards sustainable delivery of quality healthcare services, of which the provision of affordable quality medicines and consumables at the primary and secondary levels of health institutions in the State is priority.

It would be recalled that the seed stock of medicines and consumables worth N172 million was provided to Lagos, to commence the Sustainable Drug Revolving Fund (SDRF). The SDRF has afforded the state to reactivate the availability of quality and affordable medicines and commodities in the health facilities that could upgrade infrastructure and all other agreed criteria to receive the seed stock.

PATHS2 also provided medical and laboratory equipment to the value of N239 million to health facilities. To this end, the suppliers of medicines and consumables to Lagos State Medical Stores, Oshodi have become inevitable and relevant partners in ensuring the continuous availability of medicines and consumables.

Among the pharmaceutical companies represented at the forum are Merit Health Care Ltd, Alpha Pharmacy, Evans–Therapeutics, Phillips, Reals Pharma, Biofem, GlaxoSmithKlein, Sanofi, Megalife Sciences, Roche, Elbe, May & Baker and Dana.

With an elaborate presentation of the status of professional warehousing and procurement processes and practices at the Lagos State Medical Stores, the companies pledged their support to the state, to ensure that the Lagos State Medical Stores, Oshodi, becomes the model State Drug Distribution Center (SDDC), as directed by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

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