ABSTRACT
The group purchasing concept, which involves the ministries of health of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member countries was established in 1976, with the objective of procuring pharmaceuticals and medical supply items that were hard to obtain either because of the small quantity needed or due to their high prices. Prior to the establishment of the Group Purchasing Program (GPP), the GCC purchased drugs and other medical supplies from suppliers by either local and/or international tenders. The GPP notifies the successful bidders with the final quantities requested by the participating GCC member states (MOHs) and other health sectors. Strict monitoring of suppliers by participants ensures compliance. The GCC GPP experience has proved valuable in helping to streamline comparable procurement systems in other regional centers. In 2005, a joint World Health Organization (WHO)/GCC delegation was sent to the East Caribbean Island of St. Lucia to review the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States Pharmaceutical Procurement Service (OECS PSS).
