Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar SC is raising concerns about delays in the registration of medicines, saying the current system is preventing patients from accessing cheaper treatment options in a timely manner.
Speaking at a luncheon for recently appointed Permanent Secretaries on Thursday, Mrs Persad-Bissessar attributed the delays to an inactive committee and outdated regulations.
“I’m seeing that people are talking about shortages of medications and so on, and I’m told that there are persons waiting to apply to register medications, cheaper medications for one year. And why is that happening? Because there’s some committee that is not functioning, the rules and regulations are outdated, the formulary, the medical formularies, it’s outdated.”
The Prime Minister said advances in medical science and technology have made more effective medicines available at lower costs, but questioned why those medicines face lengthy approval processes locally after already being vetted by internationally recognised regulatory agencies.
“If the WHO approves that medication, what’s wrong with it? If the US FDA approves it, what? We better? We brighter? So if there is these world-known, renowned people who know far more than we do, who can afford to do more research than we could ever sit in Trinidad and do, let’s do it and let’s get these medications. People are suffering.”
Mrs Persad-Bissessar said the delays are preventing patients from accessing affordable treatment and placing an unnecessary burden on people in need of medication.
“And they’re cheaper; we can get them cheaper, but because we are so fixed. So how old is that formulary, Dr Bodoe? 1975. So we are living in 2026 with 1975 formulary. Anyway, we work on that later today because I spent all night reading on what to do and how to do it and how to fix it. According to Philip, we said we will fix it, we will fix it.”
The Prime Minister said the issue forms part of a broader effort to modernise the public service.
She urged Permanent Secretaries to identify and eliminate outdated practices, particularly where technology and innovation can improve efficiency and the delivery of services to citizens.