Bahrain PM shuffles Unified Purchase of Drugs panel

Manama : Prime Minister HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa yesterday issued Edict 30/2016, amending some provisions of Edict 32/2011 on the establishment of the National Committee for the Unified Purchase of Drugs.

According to the edict, Professor Shaikh Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa is the panel’s Chairman, while Sahar Mohammed Saleh Al Qahtani, from the Health Ministry) is its Deputy Chairman. 

Members include Ruya Mohammed Al Abbasi (the National Health Regulatory Authority), Ayat Shawqi Al-Khair (Health Ministry), Aisha Adel Al Balushi (Royal Medical Services), Reham Mokhtar Abul-Hamid (King Hamad University Hospital) and Faten Jamal Hamdan (RMS’ Mohammed bin Khalifa Cardiac Centre). Aisha Adel Al Balushi will be the panel’s Rapporteur.

The National Committee for the Unified Purchase of Drugs, which reports to the Supreme Council for Health, shall prepare a list of basic medicines, including their uses. The list shall be reviewed yearly.

It shall add new medicines to the list at the request of the medical staff. The committee shall also unify the purchase of drug and medical equipment, reduce expenditure and ensure optimal use of resources.

The panel shall convene at the request of its Chairman or Deputy Chairman whenever need arises. Meetings will not be valid unless a majority of members, including its Chairman, are present. The committee’s recommendations shall be submitted to the Supreme Council for Health for approval. The President of the Supreme Council for Health shall implement the edict, which takes immediate effect and will be published in the Official gazette.