OECS Pool Procurment Services (PPS)

1 - Procurment Selection

For Pharmaceuticals, Laboratory Equipment the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Pool Procurement Services (PPS) works closely with the Pharmaceutical Industry, Ministries of Health in each Member State and associated clinical and public health policy specialists to select medicines, equipment and laboratory equipment based on Member State requirements at any given time. 

For Goods and Services, the OECS Conducts its procurement of goods, works, consulting and non-consulting services through the guidelines and procedures set out in the Procurement manual dated November 2013 revised June 2016. The Procurement Manual reflects the policy for procurement conducted by the OECS Commission and is designed to promote transparency, integrity and accountability. 

2 - Tendering 

The PPS operates a restricted international tender through the OECS E-Tendering System in which suppliers are pre-qualified.  Pre-qualification is necessary to assess the quality standards, technical competence, and financial viability of competing suppliers. PPS negotiates an 18-month framework agreement with suppliers who are subsequently required to ship directly to the Member States.  Afterwards, PPS instructs the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank to pay suppliers, 60 days after shipments are received in port. 

Goods and Service Tending bids are posted on the Procurement Section of the OECS website, which has bids offered by OECS, Its Partners or Member States to the public. This two tendering come together to create Regional Eastern Caribbean procurement services

3 - Supplier Monitoring and Evaluation

The PPS is active in the monitoring of the delivery of pharmaceuticals and supplier performance to ensure OECS quality standards are met.

4  - Training and Technical Assistance

The pooled procurement program also provides the Member States with a wide range of related services, including training and technical assistance, a common medicine formulary, medicine utilization studies, and quality assurance, thereby sharing scientific benefits, skills and knowledge.  OECS/PPS has regularly conducted Continuing Medical Education (CME) seminars in the Member States to keep health practitioners up-to-date on the best practices of rational drug use.  In conjunction with the Continuing Medical Education  (CME) seminars, OECS/PPS has conducted a series of Drug Utilization Reviews on chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, mental disorders and asthma.  The purpose of the Drug Utilization Review is two-fold: to assess doctors’ prescribing practices, and to devise intervention strategies to enhance prescribing behaviour.

Since inventory control is an important aspect of drug supply management, OECS/PPS has convened seminars on inventory management to ensure that the health facilities have a regular supply of quality pharmaceuticals.  In addition, Member States have been equipped with INVEC, a highly sophisticated tailor-made database computer program that maintains a perpetual inventory record of all issues and receipts.  The OECS Member States have now developed better techniques for forecasting quantities which have decreased the incidence of stock-outs, expired items, obsolescence and expensive emergency orders.

5 - Quality Assurance

OECS/PPS has implemented a comprehensive quality assurance program to ensure that each imported drug is efficacious and acceptable.  The quality assurance program encompasses the pre-qualification of selected suppliers, contractual purchasing agreements, and regular testing of priority drugs at three laboratories.  The OECS/PPS Tenders Sub-committee has short-listed 13 critical drug entities with inherent bio-availability problems including phenytoin, digoxin, warfarin and slow-release oral dosage forms. 

The OECS/PPS produces a biennial Regional Formulary Manual which is a compilation of core essential drugs common to the nine (9) participating member states.  A core list of essential drugs has also significantly reduced wastage because funds are not tied up in overstock and non-essential items.  The manual is not merely a drug list but contains drug information to aid prescribers in inappropriate drug use.

6 - Strengthening Institutional Alliances

The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB), the monetary authority for the Eastern Caribbean dollar, facilitates the prompt payment of foreign exchange to suppliers at no additional cost to participating Member States.  The formal country-based committees of the PPS, ensure participatory decision-making and commitment by Ministries of Health.  The PPS Policy Board comprises Ministers of Health (assisted by their Permanent Secretaries), the OECS Director-General, the ECCB representative and the PPS Managing Director; the board exercises overall responsibility for the policy directives of the Unit. 

Two sub-committees report to the Policy Board: the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and the Tenders Sub-Committees.  The TAC comprises a senior doctor and the Supplies Purchasing Officer from each Ministry.  The Tenders Sub-Committee is a subset of TAC and includes only the Supplies Officer from each country.  The PPS management is part of the sub-committees; the Policy Board and the Sub-Committees meet annually and are chaired on the principle of alphabetical rotation by the host country.  These formal relationships are central to the participation and ownership of The PPS constituent countries.  In addition, the collective decision-making of the Tenders Sub-Committee reduces the possible influence by drug company representatives on the adjudication process. 

The tendered items are extracted from the PPS’ Regional Formulary and Therapeutics Manual which is reviewed annually by the OECS/PPS Technical Advisory Committee (TAC).  The Tenders Sub-Committee reviews bid offers and awards contracts to successful suppliers.  The pooled procurement list represents large volume and/or high-cost items for which there is a consistently high clinical demand. 

Access more resources on Pool Procurement Services in the Eastern Caribbean via the OECS Library.  

The OECS PPS works with Ministries of Health in each Member State and associated clinical and public health policy specialists to select medicines based on Member State requirements at any given time