BHB exceeded 2021-2022 target of accreditation of retail medicine outlets

BHB has exceeded its 2021-2022 target of accreditation of retail medicine outlets and could accredit 4,542 medicine outlets against a 2021-2022 target of 4,000. With BHB, so far, helped DGDA to accredit 6,735 medicine outlets beginning from 2019. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) provides support to BHB for carrying out the accreditation program under the leadership of DGDA in Bangladesh. For receiving accreditation, retail medicine shop requires to attain the standards of model medicine shop or model pharmacy set by the DGDA. Accreditation is done is several steps, viz., pre-assessment of retail medicine outlets and selection of eligible medicine outlets which meet three criteria, viz., a valid drug license, a registered medicine dispenser and require floor space size. One medicine dispenser from each of the eligible medicine outlet is then given training by BHB on Good Pharmacy Practice (GPP). Following receiving the training, the medicine dispensers start improving the standards of their respective medicine outlets in accordance with DGDA’s set guidance. During this time, BHB’s accreditation associates make multiple visits to the medicine outlets to help the medicine dispensers attain the standards. On satisfactory level, the accreditation associates invite the local district DGDA official to pay a joint inspection visit to the medicine outlet. If the district DGDA official becomes satisfied with the medicine outlet’s standard, s/he recommends to the DGDA HQ to issue accreditation certificate to the said medicine outlet. By end of September 2022, DGDA officials recommended for accreditation of 4,542 medicine outlets which is 114% of BHB’s target of 4,000 set for 2021-2022, i.e., the target for accreditation has been exceeded by 14%.