Sir Puka wants drugs that don’t work to be tested

Health Minister Sir Puka Temu has appealed to the public to bring any drug that has no effect to their illness for quality testing at the Gordon quality testing laboratory.
He said if one found that a drug he or she received or purchased at a health facility or a private pharmacy was not working, the case could be referred to the laboratory.
“The procurement of drug has to come from a World Health Organisation (WHO)-certified company to make sure quality is assured,” Sir Puka said.
“We don’t want companies supplying our system with low-quality products.
“I appeal to public that if you go to a public or private pharmacy, and the medicine does not work, you have to go and test the quality. Those procurement companies that are supplying drugs in the country are doing so as they have met WHO-required standards.
“Their procurement are coming from WHO-recommended countries.”
Sir Puka said the awarding of contracts was not done by the Health Department but Central Supply and Tenders Board (CSTB).
He said there were set criteria in selecting bidders and contracts were not given to any company that could not deliver.
“One criteria we have is we find out how much capacity the contractors have in procuring, because we don’t pay them before but after they deliver,” Sir Puka said.