Still no resolution on the appointment of Danini Contreras as the first Director of Drug Inspectorate

Marisol Melhado

This week is celebrated as Pharmacy Week, a joint initiative of the Government of Belize and the private sector. We’ll have more on that later, but first the issue which has shaken up the pharmacy sector in Belize – the appointment of Danini Contreras as the first Director of Drug Inspectorate with the Ministry of Health. When last we checked, the Public Service Union had written to the Ministry of Labour to ask for a resolution of the Contreras dispute. The Ministry of Labour responded, asking the P.S.U. to clarify if there was even a dispute. The P.S.U. has offered that clarification and is now waiting for an answer. According to Vice-President of the Pharmacists Association, Marisol Melhado, they are hoping for a settlement from that quarter, since the Ministry of Health hasn’t bothered to answer them.

Marisol Melhado, Vice President, Pharmacists’ Association of Belize

“We can still take little actions and I say little because people want to see us strike or whatever. We know first and foremost our obligation to the general public. I think when we started taking the public awareness, and that’s what we do…even in Pharmacy Week which we have done for many years now…in having people being aware, and then ultimately it’s the people who are going to make the last decision. The Ministry of Health will see an impact with all these things that we are publicly bringing out in terms of their medications and so forth, and that’s what we wanted all this time – for people to know. Whether Danini Contreras is there or not, we will continue being vigilant about that situation. We hope that she is taking all steps for her to sit the Board exam in July. We wish her all the best and we will have an induction ceremony similar to what we are going to have this week Friday. We’re going to have an induction ceremony for all the new pharmacists, the ten that were successful in February, so we hope that she does that. If she becomes a registered pharmacist we still have a problem with the fact that she doesn’t have any experience. And that she cannot swing around one way or the other. You do need that experience and that is what we have been saying from day one.”

According to Melhado, the Pharmacist’s Association is also looking for answers where new legislation is concerned. According to the Ministry of Health there is legislation sitting on the Solicitor-General’s desk which will strengthen regulations and implement stricter guidelines where the Ministry of Health is concerned.