Govt introduces CARTEX in 450 facilities to reduce waste & improve oversight of medicines, medical supplies 

The Ministry of Health hosted the National Appreciation Ceremony for Excellence in Pharmacy Practice at the Cara Lodge Hotel, Georgetown, recognising the achievements, innovation and dedication of pharmacy professionals across Guyana.

The event highlighted the continued development of pharmaceutical care in the country and underscored the government’s efforts to adopt modern medical technologies.

Delivering the feature address, Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony, commended pharmacy practitioners and emphasised that the country’s investments in healthcare are closely linked to strengthening the systems that support patient care.

He noted that the Ministry is implementing a digital management system known as CARTEX across approximately 450 health facilities nationwide to improve the management of medicines and medical supplies, reduce waste and enhance inventory tracking.

“We wanted to make sure that we have better management of the drugs and medical supplies that we are using, because we are now investing huge sums of money to ensure that every patient gets the medicines that they need,” Minister Anthony stated.

The Minister also outlined developments taking place within the global healthcare sector, noting the shift from standard treatment approaches to precision medicine tailored to an individual’s genetic profile. He encouraged young pharmacy professionals to pursue advanced studies and specialised training to contribute to these emerging areas of healthcare.

“There’s also a shift in how medicine is going to be done. And that is, you’re moving from a one-size-fits-all to more precision medicine,” the Minister explained.

“Think about when a diagnosis is made for a patient, you now 3D (three dimensional) print the meds, you combine them in the right proportion based on this person’s genetic profile and metabolism. That is where medicine is going. And we need to start embracing these types of mindset to be able to get there.”

Reflecting on the progress made within Guyana’s public health system since 2020, Minister Anthony highlighted the expansion of specialised medical services. He noted that procedures such as cardiac stenting, knee replacements and hip replacement surgeries are now routinely performed free of cost at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

He also referenced Guyana’s recent introduction of robotic surgery and fibre-optic telesurgery.
To support continued progress within the healthcare sector, Dr Anthony encouraged pharmacy professionals to pursue specialised fields of practice and announced that oncology pharmacy training will soon be introduced to support the development of a national oncology centre.

“Our most important asset is not the oil. Our most important asset is the people and how we educate them and how creative they can be in being able to generate all kinds of opportunities,” the Minister added. “You shouldn’t only have excellence in where you work, but we want to lift ourselves to a higher excellence where we become not just leaders here, but leaders across the Caribbean in the area of pharmacy.”