30 January, 2026, 4:46 pm Central - 30°C Rain

Free Medicine Program Reform launched
Participating private pharmacies can dispense listed medications from their inventory & will be reimbursed – Dr Waqainabete

Free Medicine Program Reform launched

Participating private pharmacies can dispense listed medications from their inventory & will be reimbursed – Dr Waqainabete

By Iva Danford
14/04/2022

The improved implementation model for the Government’s Free Medicine Program has been launched with one of the major changes in the reform that allows participating private pharmacies to use their own stock of medicine and they will be reimbursed by the Ministry of Health.

Minister for Health Doctor Ifereimi Waqainabete says another change is that they are moving from paper base system to a digital platform.

Waqainabete says this will be a transparent and efficient method of transaction with proper analysis of data.

He says the health centres will now can also use tablets to place their orders of medicine.

Waqainabete says there are very strict monitoring systems in place for this program.

Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum had earlier stated that the Free Medicine Programme is funded at $8 million.

The list of free medicines has expanded to cover 140 items, comprising 136 medicinal products and 4 consumable items, mainly wound dressing materials.

FEATURE NEWS
All roads led to UB40 ft Ali Campbell and Katchafire for Suva and NZ family
A Suva and New Zealand family have been planning their outing for the last couple of months around the UB40 featuring Ali Campbell Big Love Tour with ...
1 minute ago
LATEST NEWS
Free eye surgery brings hope to children with strabismus
The Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children's Hospital, in partnership with the CWM Hospital Eye Department, provided a one-day free corrective eye ...
31 minutes ago

MOU signed between Oceania Hospital and University of Fiji
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the University of Fiji and Oceania Hospital to allow medical students from the University to get ...
46 minutes ago

20 business linked to foreign worker rights breaches - Bernard
Around 20 of the 740 businesses currently employing foreign workers in Fiji have been linked to breaches of workers’ rights.This was revealed by ...
47 minutes ago

Higher Education Comm orders immediate shutdown and registration of all student recruitment agencies
The Higher Education Commission has given the directive that all student recruitment agencies operating in Fiji cease operations immediately and ...
55 minutes ago

Former WAF worker jailed for 3 years over corrupt sale of water tanks
A former Water Authority of Fiji (WAF) employee has been sentenced to three years’ imprisonment by the Nadi Magistrates Court for a ...
2 hours ago



Stay tuned for the latest news on our radio stations

CFL radio frequencies
IN DEPTH
Ailava Samuels to represent Fiji in Miss Pacific Pageant
Miss Fiji 2025 first runner-up and Miss Nasinu, Ailava Samuels, has been officially appointed as Fiji’s representative to next month's Miss ...
8 days ago

Referendum Bill risks undermining democracy - Dialogue Fiji
The National Referendum Bill risks undermining democracy by criminalising political expression, enabling state overreach and excluding young people ...
10 days ago

Shocking move : FNU reassigned under PM
The Fiji National University is being reassigned under the Prime Minister's Office Ministerial Portfolio via the Ministry of Strategic Planning, ...
10 days ago

TOP