A Technical Management Committee (TMC) oversees the Better Health in Bangladesh (BHB) project activities. The committee, chaired by Major General Mohammad Yousuf, the Director General of Drug Administration met on 23 March 2023. In the beginning, the Country Project Director of BHB Prof. Dr Abul Kalam Azad explained the importance of the issues to be discussed. Then a presentation was made on behalf of BHB to appraise the members of the TMC on the progress and update, as summarised below:
- BHB has cumulatively completed accreditation pre-assessments of 19,632 retail drug outlets against a target of 23,000 by December 2024.
- BHB has cumulatively trained 11,577 grade C pharmacy technicians against the December 2024 target of 14,000, leaving 2,500 to train during in the next two years.
- BHB has helped the DGDA to accredit 6,735 retail medicine shops (cumulatively) as model medicine shops or model pharmacies against the target of 10,000 for September 2018 to December 2024.
- The Pharmacy Management Software (PMS), which BHB helped to develop, supports retail medicine shops’ inventory management. The number of users is now 451. The target for December 2024 is 900; so, BHB will continue to work to add 450 new users by the deadline.
- The PCB automation system, which BHB also helped to develop, is now fully functional, and PCB has taken formal ownership of this software. All activities related to new and renewed registration of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are now done online through this automation system.
- BHB assisted the DGDA to develop its Automated Drug Licensing and Renewal System (ADLRS), which is software that facilitates electronic submission and processing of applications and issue of new and renewal drug licenses. The meeting chair announced that starting in 2024, no drug license will be issued manually—all drug-licensing activities will go through ADLRS.
The meeting was attended, amongst others, by Md. Eyahya, Director, DGDA; Ms. Monira Parvin, Deputy Secretary, MOHFW; Md. Mahbubul Haque, Secretary, PCB; Brig. Gen. (retd), Shams Khan, CAB; Md. Abdul Hai, Senior Vice President, BCDS; Ms. Fahmida Shabnam, Team Leader, HR, FCDO; Dr. Rashid Zaman and Dr. Shafiqul Islam, both Health Advisers, FCDO; Dr Umar Khyyam, Chief of Party, USP-PQM+; and Ms. Umme Habiba, WHO Bangladesh.
Meeting participants thanked BHB for consistently meeting its targets and thanked FCDO for providing the financial support for these activities. The meeting chair concluded with a promise to continue supporting the project’s work.
