THE House committee on health yesterday approved a bill creating the “health procurement and stockpiling bureau” under the Department of Health (DOH) that will be tasked to absorb the department’s procurement service and the supply chain management service to serve as the principal agency “mandated to undertake a transparent, fair, proactive, and innovative procurement service for the DOH.”
“It will also be tasked to stockpile, conserve, and facilitate the release of adequate amounts of potentially life-saving pharmaceuticals, vaccines, devices, and materials in times of public health emergencies,” the bill said.
The proposed “Health Procurement and Stockpiling Act,” principally authored by panel chair Quezon Rep. Angelina “Helen” Tan, seeks to protect public health by addressing the problem of access to critical drugs and medicines, vaccines, devices, and materials in times of public health emergencies.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the need to preposition critical and strategic pharmaceuticals and medical devices as well as the supply of raw materials. The country needs to be proactive in its response to public health emergencies,” Tan said.
Among the functions of the new DOH bureau are the identification of strategic and critical drugs and medicines, vaccines, devices, and materials needed for public health emergencies that have the distinct capability of being stockpiled in strategic and secure areas of the country; supplementation of drugs and medicines, vaccines, devices, and materials to state supplies acting as a stopgap buffer when the immediate supply of adequate amounts of drugs and medicines, vaccines, devices, and materials may not be immediately available; and ensuring the rotation, replenishment, and freshness of stocks and that there exists at all times steady, available and adequate supply of drugs and medicines, vaccines, devices, and materials, which are essential in responding to public health emergencies.
The bureau will also lead in facilitating the creation of a conducive environment to encourage pharmaceutical and device self-sufficiency for medical supplies needed by the country and spearhead the crafting of a multi-sector National Drug and Device Security Program geared towards the country’s self-reliance in producing drugs and medicines, vaccines, devices, and materials.
