Providing HIV/AIDS Medicines & Supplies at Best Value
Key procurement strategies to drive down prices of essential medicines and ensure a steady supply of high-quality items include:
- Long-range planning and forecasting to prevent costly emergency procurements and stockouts of vital items
- Pooling procurement—consolidating orders across many recipients to buy in larger volumes
- Establishing long-term contracts with vendors, with prices and terms other stakeholders can access
- Adhering to stringent quality assurance processes and standards
- Buying generic ARVs and other pharmaceuticals whenever possible
- Publishing our current pricing information
SCMS has also implemented a regional distribution center (RDC) concept to make quality ARVs and HIV test kits available to clients in the quantities and at the time they need them to support rapidly expanding programs. These RDC’s are located in Accra, Ghana; Nairobi, Kenya; and Pretoria, South Africa.