Drugs

Cheaper

Scheme

South Pacific Forum nations can look forward to an era of

cheaper drugs and medical

supplies. A World Health Organisation South Pacific Bureau for Economic Co operation meeting in Manila in mid-November called for the establishment of a South Pa cific Pharmaceutical Service

(Spps).

The idea was first raised at the South Pacific Forum which gave SPEC a mandate to inves

tigate ‘regional import require

ments to enable the bulk

purchasing of essential imports

by official agencies’. SPEC

finally recommended pharma

ceuticals as the most likely to offer maximum regional ben efit for bulk purchasing follow ing several studies.

The Manila meeting was attended by seven health ministers and 38 senior officials from 23 countries.

WHO invited non-Forui countries so they could 1 informed about this effort o technical co-operation amoi

developing countries.

SPEC director MaH Tupounuia says SPPS will K an international agency withi

at obtaining drugs and othi medical supplies on the be commercial terms and with dii tribution through a centn warehouse and two suli regional warehouses. SPPS w' enable quality assurance an information on drug utilisatio

and drug toxicity.

The Asian Developmet Bank and UNDP have inch cated financial assistance be participating countries w\ bear the bulk of the start-u costs.

The New Hebrides, Tonp and Western Samoa hai offered to be centres for wan houses. The Manila meetim did not resolve this issue whid is likely to go to the Forum fi a final decision. Jamv

Tully.