THE Health and Finance ministries are finalising the Off-Take Plus (PPO Plus) Programme agreement which will ensure security in the supply of pharmaceutical products from local sources and boost domestic investments.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said this includes the agreement’s contract period.
“We are focusing on companies involved in greenfield products that produce novel drugs and are committed to supplying their products to the government,” he told the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
He said priority will be given to medicines on the National Essential Medicines List as well as medical devices.
“We also want to encourage companies who have contracts under PPO Plus to market their products globally,” he said, adding that 13 companies have submitted their application so far.
He was responding to a question from Rodziah Ismail (PH-Ampang) on the implementation status of the PPO Plus Programme.
Rodziah also asked if there are plans to expand the programme to vaccines and biosimilar.
Dzulkefly acknowledged the importance to expand the scope to vaccines and biosimilar as the ministry had to grapple with a supply disruption for human insulin recently.
“That is what we are trying to address,” he said.
