Audit reveals expired medicine issued to some health centers

The Public Accounts Committee said it has now been assured by the Fiji Pharmaceutical Services Centre that the overstocking and understocking of different types of medication will be a thing of the past.

The 2009 Performance Audit by the Auditor General revealed the lack of planning of purchasing medicine which resulted in $976,000 worth of expired drugs from 2006 to 2008.

It was also revealed during the audit that the purchases were not driven by consumer demands.

Another worrying issue was that expired drugs were issued to the health centres in Nausori, Vuna, Seaqaqa and Nadi Hospital.

The committee said it was apparent that issuing of expired or near expired drugs to health facilities could be a way of getting rid of unwanted stock without considering lives of recipients being put at risk.

The Performance Audit also revealed that the minimum time of expiry of drugs and consumables upon reaching the Fiji Pharmaceutical Services should not be less than 18 months.

However, some of the drugs received had a shelf life of less than 18 months.

The audit revealed that Fiji Pharmaceutical Services had made provision in the contract that it would accept short expiry drugs at its own discretion.

Public Accounts Committee’s Deputy Chairperson Adi Laufitu Malani said they have been assured that proper systems are now in place and expired medicine will not be issued to health centres and hospitals.