Jamaica issues $3bn worth of drug supply contracts

Lasco, Medimpax and GSK are among those to receive manufacturing and supply deals under the J$3.3bn ($37m) worth of contracts issued by the Jamaican Government.

The country’s National Health Fund (NHF) issued the contracts – which cover 700 drugs - last week after receiving bids from more than 40 pharmaceutical manufacturers, both local and international.

The items supplied – which are both generic and branded products - will be those listed on the Ministry of Health's Vital Essential and Necessary (VEN) Drug List and the Jamaica Drug for the Elderly Programme (JADEP), drug list, which is managed by the NHF.

The contracts were issued by Sterling Soares, Chairman of the NHF, who said that in coming months NHF will be upgrading its warehouse and inventory management system, which will facilitate improvement in storage and distribution of pharmaceutical items

According to the Jamaica Information Services website Lasco Distributors was awarded the largest contract at $763m; followed by Medimpex West Indies at just over $195m and Apotex at $160m