Tripoli: Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity Abdul Hamid Al-Dbeibah has urged the implementation of a unified and clear mechanism for managing the medicine file, starting from identifying actual needs to ensuring medicines reach patients efficiently.

According to Libyan News Agency, this call was made during an expanded meeting today, attended by key figures including Minister of State for Prime Minister and Cabinet Affairs Mohammed bin Ghalboun, Minister of Health Mohammed Al-Ghaj, and heads of various agencies affiliated with the health ministry. The meeting's focus was on reviewing the current system for providing medicines and medical supplies, as well as the methods used to ascertain the pharmaceutical needs of healthcare institutions.

Al-Dbeibah emphasized the necessity of stringent monitoring throughout the stages of procurement, inspection, distribution, and dispensing of medicines. He highlighted the importance of maintaining a steady supply of medications for chronic and rare diseases and addressing any potential bottlenecks that might impede their delivery to patients in need.

The Prime Minister also underscored the importance of enhancing coordination between the Ministry of Health and its associated agencies. He advocated for linking data concerning needs, consumption, and stock levels to ensure precise assessment of requirements, facilitate rapid response, and improve the overall efficiency of medicine management and distribution across various regions.

During the meeting, the Minister of Health provided insights into the mechanisms for determining pharmaceutical needs and ensuring the provision of medicines for rare and chronic diseases. He detailed the procedures for procurement, distribution, and dispensing, noting that estimating required quantities based on healthcare facility data and consumption rates would improve the efficiency of medicine provision and ensure timely delivery to patients.

The discussions also covered the establishment of a unified national registry for rare diseases, updating patient data, organizing specialized procurement, and linking hospitals with referral centers. Additionally, support for genetic and molecular diagnostic services was addressed to ensure that high-cost medicines are dispensed to patients who meet specific medical eligibility criteria.

The meeting reviewed the stages involved in pharmaceutical procurement, which begin with identifying needs and obtaining financial approval, followed by contracting, purchasing, shipping, and laboratory testing, and ultimately distribution and logistical support. The discussions included organizing the distribution pathway for medicines from the Medical Supply Organization to healthcare facilities, and the mechanism for dispensing medicines to patients from these facilities.