The Pan American Health Organization, in collaboration with the Caribbean Public Health Agency, hosted a technical webinar titled “Strengthening Medicines Quality through Laboratory Testing: The Indian Pharmacopoeia,” aimed at improving medicines quality assurance systems across the Caribbean. The session brought together nearly 100 participants from 16 countries and territories, reflecting strong regional engagement on pharmaceutical safety and regulatory strengthening.
The webinar focused on the importance of robust post-marketing surveillance, effective market control systems, and improved access to laboratory testing. Experts emphasized that cooperation among regulatory authorities, quality control laboratories, and pharmacopeial institutions is essential to ensuring that medicines in the Caribbean meet internationally accepted standards for quality, safety, and efficacy.
CARPHA’s Medicine Quality Control and Surveillance Department presented its role as a regional reference laboratory, sharing experience in medicines surveillance and quality testing. The discussion also highlighted opportunities to strengthen coordination among Caribbean countries and improve laboratory capacity through shared regional approaches.
A key feature of the session was the introduction of the Indian Pharmacopoeia, including its standards and testing methodologies. Participants examined how these guidelines can support regulatory authorities and laboratories in the Caribbean, particularly as medicines meeting these standards are already present in regional markets and interest grows in strengthening local manufacturing and testing capacity.
The webinar concluded with an interactive question-and-answer session, enabling technical exchange between experts and participants. It forms part of ongoing PAHO and CARPHA efforts to build regional capacity and enhance medicines quality, contributing to safer and more effective health systems across the Caribbean.
