The government is proposing sweeping changes to the drug regulatory system, with legislation tabled in the Senate to create a new authority aimed at strengthening oversight, improving access to medicines and positioning the island for making pharmaceuticals.

Introducing the Barbados Medical Products Bill in the Senate on Wednesday, Senior Minister coordinating Social and Environmental Policy with responsibility for Reform of the Social Sector, Senator Jerome Walcott, described the measure as the most significant reform of the Barbados Drug Service since its establishment in 1980.

The proposed Barbados Medical Products Authority (BMPA) would function as a modern autonomous regulatory body responsible for overseeing medicines, medical devices and other health products used in Barbados.