Moldova to create information system for monitoring medicine stocks

Moldova will create an information system for monitoring medicine stocks, which will be meant for the centralized recording, monitoring and reporting of human-use medicine stocks across the entire territory of Moldova.

The concept of the new System was approved by the government today. The new tool will allow oversight of the availability of medicines along the entire supply chain: domestic manufacturers, importers, wholesale distributors of medicines, pharmacies and public and private healthcare institutions.

Thus, by establishing the System, the authorities will have a centralized tool for real-time monitoring of stocks, issuing preventive alerts, generating analytical reports and supporting intervention decisions in case of risk of shortages.

“The importance of this decision lies in the fact that the institutions will have uniform rules and clear responsibilities for all participants. Thus, the authorities will know which medicines are available and where they need to intervene, in order to prevent shortages. Through this project, we are moving from managing crises after they arise to preventing them. The patient should not be the first to inform the state that a medicine is missing. The state must identify risks and intervene before the shortage reaches the patient. I ask you to support this project,” said Minister of Health Alexandru Gasnas at the Government meeting.

The new System is necessary given that, at present, there is no automated mechanism in Moldova for collecting and tracking data on medicine stocks nationally. According to the explanatory note of the draft approved by the government, the monitoring of medicines’ availability is carried out in a fragmented and predominantly reactive manner, based on complaints from the market (pharmacies, patients, doctors) or on ad-hoc actions by the authorities.

By creating the new information System, Moldova is aligning itself with European practices and strengthening its capacity to prevent medicines’ shortages, while at the same time preparing for future obligations stemming from its status as an EU candidate country.