Bridgetown, Barbados, July 30, 2026.– Barbados continues to strengthen its regulatory capacities for medicines and other health technologies towards the establishment of the Barbados Medical Products Authority (BMPA) with the support of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
After the passing of the Barbados Medical Products Act by the country’s Parliament in mid-June, authorities and officials of the future BMPA and PAHO officials and consultants convened in a three-day technical working session, the fifth of PAHO’s ongoing cooperation program to strengthen the national regulatory system and support access to quality-assured medicines, vaccines, and other health technologies while promoting local production capacities.
Over the past two years, Barbados has worked closely with PAHO to assess and strengthen its regulatory functions using the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Benchmarking Tool (GBT), and develop and implement an Institutional Development Plan, reinforcing the country's commitment to achieving WHO Maturity Level 3 by 2029.
Towards the installation of the Barbados Medical Products Authority
The workshop focused on the preparation for the establishment of the BMPA, including operational, legal and technical requirements for an effective regulation of medicines and health technologies.
Participants discussed staffing and operational needs, digital systems, and international engagement, while also reviewing communication readiness efforts, including the development of the BMPA website and public information materials to support the launch of the authority and implementation of the new legislation.
A major component of the meeting was dedicated to preparing the country for the implementation of a registration and market authorization system for medical products. PAHO experts worked with Barbados’ officials to review draft guidance documents for product registration and market authorization applications, ensuring that future procedures will be transparent, efficient, and aligned with international best practices. Discussions also explored the use of reliance and recognition approaches, which can help small regulatory systems leverage assessments conducted by trusted regulatory authorities.
The session further assessed national readiness to introduce a National Post Market Surveillance System, a critical mechanism for monitoring the safety and effectiveness of medicines after they reach the market or distribution channels, by reviewing regulatory requirements, identifying priority actions, and discussing the institutional capacities needed to support ongoing surveillance and reporting activities (both within the country and internationally).
Additionally, technical discussions focused on draft regulations required to accompany the Barbados Medical Products Act 2026 which approved the creation of the BMPA, as well as inspection and licensing functions that will be essential to the BMPA’s mandate.
As Barbados moves toward the formal launch of the BMPA, PAHO will continue providing technical cooperation to support regulatory strengthening efforts, the implementation of essential regulatory functions, and the country's long-term goal of achieving a mature and resilient regulatory system capable of meeting national and regional health needs.
