The Minister for Health and National Emergency Services Dr. Billy Joseph today officially opened the 9th Biennial Scientific Conference of the Pharmaceutical Society of Papua New Guinea at the Hilton Hotel, Port Moresby.
Speaking under the theme “Innovate, Integrate and Impact through Pharmacy Leadership and Partnership for Better Health Outcomes”, the Minister announced three major pharmaceutical reforms aimed at ending chronic medicine shortages in the country.
Minister Joseph paid tribute to the nation’s pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, describing them as “the custodians of medicines – the last link between a prescription and a patient” He said.
Minister Joseph said the theme reflects the Government’s direction for health:
- INNOVATE: End business-as-usual. Adopt full digital stock visibility using mSupply and electronic LMIS from Area Medical Stores to rural aid posts. Innovate in training and retaining pharmacists to serve the rural majority.
- INTEGRATE: Break silos. Pharmacists in Provincial Health Authorities must work as one team with clinicians, nurses and laboratory staff. Public and private sectors must work together. “You are not competitors; you are partners. 80% of our population is rural. Government cannot reach them alone.”
- IMPACT: Judge success by impact, not papers. “Is a mother in Southern Highlands able to get oxytocin when she bleeds after birth? Is a child in Sepik able to get amoxicillin? Is a TB patient able to complete treatment?”
Minister Joseph reaffirmed that health remains a core priority of the Marape-Rosso Government, with investment increasing from K346 million in 2007 to over K3.2 billion in 2026. He stressed that this investment must translate into tangible results at the facility level.
He acknowledged the serious challenges in the current pharmaceutical system, including fragmented regulation, a vulnerable supply chain prone to delays and stock-outs, weak enforcement against substandard and unregistered medicines, and limited regulatory capacity.
Minister Joseph also discussed health reform underway to strengthen the medical supply chain, including:
An upcoming review of the Medicines and Cosmetics Act 1999: The 27-year-old Act no longer addresses modern challenges such as private importation, falsified medicines, online sales, antimicrobial resistance and pharmacovigilance. The comprehensive review will commence to strengthen regulation, licensing and enforcement.
The establishment of an Independent Medical Supplies Authority to manage national procurement, warehousing and distribution, separating regulation from supply to ensure transparency and accountability. An NEC-approved interagency task force has been established to oversee this.
“I am committed to delivering this Authority within my term,” Minister Joseph said.
And PNG’s first dedicated Medical and Health university scheduled to commence intakes in 2027 and will address critical shortages of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, biomedical engineers and laboratory scientists. It will consolidate training for doctors, nurses, pharmacists, dentists and HEOs and create clear career pathways from diploma to Masters.
Minister Joseph called on the Pharmaceutical Society to partner with Government by providing technical expertise and competency standards to drive the reforms.
In closing, Minister Joseph emphasised that “Without health, we have no human resource, no economic growth, no nation building,”