Improving Patient Care by Improving Healthcare Procurement

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New Brunswick Regulation 2023-65 updates the Procurement Act, by addressing exemptions for the Department of Health in the procurement of certain goods and services. This regulation aims to improve efficiencies in healthcare processes, particularly for patients transitioning from hospital care to home or those enrolled in homecare programs. It repeals Section 25 of New Brunswick Regulation 2014-93, and introduces a new framework that outlines specific exemptions for the Department of Health from the standard competitive bidding process when acquiring certain drugs and related supplies.

Subsection 25(1) specifies that the Department of Health is exempt from usual procurement processes for two categories: first, drugs and related supplies prescribed for patients discharged from hospital facilities returning home, and second, prescribed drugs for inmates in provincial penal institutions. Additionally, Subsection 25(2) stipulates that prescriptions for drugs for patients transitioning from hospital to home must be filled locally and cannot be used to build or replenish stock inventories, ensuring a focus on immediate patient care rather than stockpiling.

The regulation also includes modifications to Section 26, aimed at clarifying language and punctuation to improve the overall readability and precision of the regulations. In the English version, changes include the removal of semicolons, replaced by conjunctions or periods, for smoother transitions between statements.

By permitting direct procurement without competitive bidding, the regulation aims at improved efficiency, allowing for quicker access to essential medications and supplies, especially for patients transitioning from hospital care. It focuses on local fulfillment by mandating that prescriptions be filled at local pharmacies, which fosters community engagement and seeks to ensure timely care for patients. Furthermore, the restriction against using prescriptions for stock replenishment is intended to address direct patient needs rather than inventory management, attempting to reduce waste and ensuring resources are directed toward current patient care.

By exempting the Department of Health from traditional bidding processes for specific medications and supplies, the regulation prioritizes immediate patient care and local fulfillment. These changes are designed to improve the efficiency and responsiveness of health services in New Brunswick, particularly for vulnerable populations such as discharged patients and inmates.

New Brunswick (2023-65) December 12, 2023