A contingency framework has been set up to make sure patients still receive their medicines in the event of a future crisis such as a war or another pandemic, a DH spokesperson told C+D yesterday (April 27).
This decision follows the difficulties it experienced when trying to secure storage and logistics contracts for medicines and medical devices during the COVID-19 pandemic, the spokesperson added.
The DH is therefore inviting “qualified providers” to come forward and submit tenders to store and distribute medicines and medical devices as part of the emergency framework, it wrote in a contract document published earlier this week (April 26).
A contingency plan for medicines distribution
Medicine shortages would not generally trigger the use of the framework, unless they were to happen during a declared emergency, the spokesperson told C+D.
The DH will not pay successful bidders upfront, but will instead issue the payment to them when and if their services are needed, they added.
However, in a document detailing the instructions for the tendering process, it disclosed that the “indicative value” for the framework is to up to £150 million, including VAT.
The framework is only a contingency measure and might never be used, and the DH is not introducing it to compete with existing supply chains, the DH spokesperson clarified.
National and regional suppliers welcomed
Both national and regional suppliers are invited to submit tenders for the framework, which will be in place for four years “with no option to extend”, the DH wrote in its tendering notice.
Bidders have until June 10 to submit their interest, while the DH anticipates that the framework agreement will go live on August 1.
During the pandemic, the DH procured centrally held flu jab stock, which pharmacies could access to meed the additional demand for vaccines.
Meanwhile, responding to public concerns of shortages affecting hormone replacement therapy (HRT) products, pharmacy minister Maria Caulfield announced earlier this week that an HRT chairperson will be appointed “to spearhead urgent action on this issue and apply lessons from our successful vaccine rollout”.
