Product list (Drug name, strength, and formulation)
The Strategic Fund product list (91.41 kB)
How to write a Procurement Plan: Countries participating in the Strategic Fund are using the following technical guide to review the supply management system and develop a procurement plan. The technical guide promotes an integrated approach to procurement planning and highlights the importance of a consultative process in country, with the participation of all actors, to develop a procurement plan that will ensure continuous availability of products within the supply chain, and identify possible weaknesses within the supply chain that have to be addressed. The document has been jointly developed by PAHO, COHAN and Management Sciences for Health.
Supplier Prequalification and Prequalification Procedures
Reference prices: Countries may also use the following information sources for price referencing of pharmaceuticals.
MSH International Drug Price Indicator
Eudrapharm: (European Union Drug Regulating Authorities Pharmaceutical Database)
Intellectual Property: One of the objectives of the PAHO Strategic Fund is to promote access to affordable medicines in the region of the Americas. To achieve this the Strategic Fund will, where possible, purchase generic medicines when cost savings are evident. In such circumstances, participating countries are required to ensure that products purchased comply with national patent law and regulations.
It is recognized that generic medicines represent one of the most cost effective interventions in public health. In countries such as the United States and Canada, even though generic medicines share of the total market value in US$ is very low (11% and 15% respectively), almost 50% of all prescriptions in both countries are issued in generic form. Additionally the WHO World Medicines Situation Report provides important data on the increasing market shares for generic medicines in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico.
Generics are pharmaceutical products that contain the same active ingredient in the same amounts as the original products on which they are based. Marketed after the expiry of patent or other exclusivity rights, generics are legally available from multiple sources and are:
- intended to be interchangeable with the original product,
- approved for marketing by national authorities after they are found to have the same quality, safety and efficacy as the original product,
- marketed either under a non-proprietary name (INN or other approved name) or under brand names ("branded generics").
Depending on national legislation, the above elements may be different in some countries. For this reason the term 'multisource' product has been introduced to encompass both branded and unbranded generics. The core of the generic concept is that, regardless of local variations in definition, generics are products containing well-established drugs, i.e. drugs whose safety and efficacy are well established.
Procurement through the Strategic Fund
The following are the key steps to be followed for procurement through the PAHO Strategic Fund:
1. Planning
- The Member State or the Principle Recipient (PR) reviews needs in the public health supplies.
- The Member State or the Principle Recipient (PR) defines and reviews the local procurement cycle.
- The Member State or the Principle Recipient (PR) prepares a procurement plan.
2. Purchasing
- Based on planning process, the Member State requests prices from the Strategic Fund.
- The PAHO Procurement Services Unit (AM/PRO) at Washington DC requests information from different suppliers and provide prices through PAHO Country Offices.
- The Member State or the Principle Recipient (PR) makes payment to PAHO.
- PAHO purchases the product on behalf of the Member State and makes payment to the suppliers.
- The Member State or the Principle Recipient (PR) receives quality products in accordance with the agreed shipping terms.
3. Evaluation
- National laboratories execute quality control testing of products received. When necessary, PAHO may test the quality of a product in a PAHO/WHO selected laboratory.
- PAHO evaluates and reviews the procurement planning process jointly with the Member State or the Principle Recipient (PR).
See also Administrative Procedures for the Strategic Fund: