A new bill before Parliament seeks to tighten control over the quality and supply of medicines in Barbados, with the government moving to guard against counterfeit drugs and reduce reliance on external sources.

In an historic first appearance of a senator on the floor of the House of Assembly under new constitutional arrangements passed late last year, Minister of Health Senator Lisa Cummins piloted the Barbados Medical Products Bill through its second reading in the lower legislature.

She told lawmakers the proposed law is intended to establish the island’s medical products sovereignty, with a primary focus on protecting the public from the dangers of counterfeit pharmaceuticals.