Bahamas National Drug Agency (BNDA)

The Bahamas National Drug Agency (BNDA), located on Market and McPherson Streets, Nassau, Bahamas was established on July 1, 1994. Responsibility for the management of this Agency was delegated to the Public Hospitals Authority when the PHA was founded in July 1999.

BNDA has overall responsibility for the regulation and management of pharmaceuticals throughout the public healthcare sector. Its specific Mandate are as follows:

To provide a continuous supply of formulary drugs and related items to all public healthcare institutions
To rationalize the use of formulary drugs and reduce their cost to the public
To provide for the selection, procurement, distribution and utilization of formulary drugs
To improve and strengthen the inventory and general management systems of the government pharmacies
To maintain and update the Bahamas National Drug Formulary
To monitor and control the importation, exportation and use of narcotic and psychotropic drugs as set out under the United Nations 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances and the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs
To provide information on drugs and related items to all healthcare professionals in The Bahamas

To participate in the Drug Agency’s supply programme, local wholesalers as well as their overseas counterparts are invited to take part in the tender process which is conducted annually. Participants must be registered with BNDA. Additionally, the manufacturer must provide information as it relates to Good Manufacturing Practice as established by the World Health Organization, providing necessary documents from the relevant authority.

The Tender Document contains a generic listing of Drugs and Related Items with exact specifications as recommended by the Formulary Committee. Contracts are usually awarded for a period of twelve months. The public is informed of the tender via public notification.