BDS bill cut in half

THE CONTROVERSIAL RESTRUCTURING of the Barbados Drug Service (BDS) two years ago has achieved its goal.

Spending on drugs has been halved, while the institution continues to provide Barbadians with quality, affordable pharmaceuticals.

According to the annual report on the operations of the BDS for fiscal year April 1, 2012, to March 31, 2013, recently laid in Parliament, the service kept its costs to seven per cent of the Ministry of Health’s budget after it soared to an all-time high of 14 per cent in the 2009/2010 fiscal year.

The report noted that one year after the restructuring of the BDS – which was implemented to contain ballooning costs – its drug expenditure as a percentage of the Ministry of Health’s budget dropped from 13 per cent ($47.02 million) in 2010/2011 to six per cent ($22.5 million) in 2011/2012.

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