Debated in Parliament on 5 Jul 2021.
Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Minister for Health what has been done to ensure supply chain resilience to maintain the availability, affordability and variety of critical medicine which may not be easily interchangeable such as insulin or psychiatric medication for Singaporeans to ensure that treatment is consistent.
To ensure drug supply resiliency, MOH monitors international developments that could affect our supply closely, and works with the Agency for Logistics and Procurement Services (ALPS), healthcare institutions (HCIs), drug companies via the Singapore Association of Pharmaceutical Industries (SAPI) and local pharmaceutical distributors.
As part of our supply arrangements, drug companies keep a healthy buffer of stock in Singapore. If companies face challenges bringing drugs into Singapore, there is an established channel to highlight to MOH to resolve the issue.
In the event of supply disruptions, alternative suppliers have been identified and can be activated as needed. HCIs may also dispense medication for shorter periods, to ensure sufficient supply for all patients. This could be more inconvenient for some patients, but it is mitigated by direct delivery of medications to the patients’ homes.
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