See below the full statement issued by the Ministry of Health:
The Ministry of Health firmly denies the recent article alleging that billions of dollars of drugs expired between 2023 and 2024. This claim is misleading and inaccurate and misrepresents the Auditor General’s report. The Ministry wishes to clarify that the expired medications, medical supplies, and laboratory supplies in question date back to before 2022 and, in some instances, were from 2019 and beyond. These are now being responsibly disposed of by national and international safety protocols. For the medications bought in 2023, $12,546,000 expired or 0.01%; similarly, for 2024, $13,471,899 expired or 0.06%.
The drugs referenced in the article were procured and stocked primarily before 2019 and during the COVID-19 pandemic. They have since expired due to various factors, including changes in medical needs, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and new treatment protocols. The Ministry has been engaged in an ongoing process of identifying and safely disposing of these outdated medications to ensure that only viable, effective drugs are available for use.
The Ministry of Health remains committed to maintaining the highest standards in healthcare delivery. Regular audits are conducted to monitor pharmaceutical stocks, and efforts are underway to strengthen the supply chain management system.
The Ministry follows established procedures for the environmentally safe disposal of expired pharmaceuticals, per the guidelines provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other regulatory authorities. These processes ensure that expired drugs do not pose any health or environmental risk.
The Ministry of Health reaffirms its commitment to providing all citizens with safe, effective, and up-to-date medications.
