The Bureau of Pharmaceuticals is part of the Parliament of Health.
| Bureau of Pharmaceuticals | |
|---|---|
| Bureau of the Parliament of Health | |
| Employees | 32,220 |
| Established | 1961 |
| Headquarters | Pharmaceutical House, Oslola |
| Service | Commonwealth Medical Service |
The Bureau of Pharmaceuticals (formerly the National Pharmaceutical Bureau) is a bureau of the Parliament of Health. It manufactures most pharmaceuticals domestically, and has production facilities in Oslola, Kairi and Praia, which produce generic medications and some specialist drugs. It also keeps the Municipal Pharmacy Agreements, which negotiate bulk purchasing with overseas manufacturers. It reports to the Bureau of Health Services.
Municipal pharmacies may order any medicine on the national formulary of the Health Sciences Authority. The order is filled from the bureau’s Medical Stores Depot in Oslola or its stores in the republics, and is dispensed without charge. Most medicines are first made as generics, and a few specialist drugs are imported. Controlled substances and antibiotics are still counted and tracked by the bureau’s pharmacy supply offices.
When a foreign medicine is needed at home, the bureau usually makes it under licence. It negotiates these licences with the foreign manufacturer and pays for them from the reserves of the Treasury. A common antibiotic found in pharmacies across the country is generally one of them.
General Headquarters
2,510Direction of the bureau; parliamentary business, legal advice, press and staff.
Department of Manufacture
13,140The pharmaceutical works; tablets, injections, dressings and glass.
Department of Biologicals
3,010Vaccines, sera, insulin and blood products.
Department of Foreign Medicines
1,110Foreign medicines under the Municipal Pharmacy Agreements; licences for foreign formulas.
Department of Supply
10,800Medical stores; supply of the municipal pharmacies; cold stores and shipping.
Department of Pricing
690Costing and pricing of medicines for the health accounts.