January 22, 2024
The UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy is part of two consortiums, DAI and the Panagora Group, that have been awarded a place on the Global Health Comprehensive Technical Assistance for Health Supply Chain and Pharmaceutical Management (Comprehensive TA) contract by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
This is a competitive contracting mechanism designed to ensure that USAID partner countries have sustainable access to safe, effective, quality-assured and affordable health commodities. An indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract, the Comprehensive TA IDIQ is part of the USAID’s broader Next Generation Global Health Supply Chain Suite of Programs (NextGen).
The School’s involvement is led by Stephen Eckel, Pharm.D., Associate Dean for Global Engagement and associate professor in the Division of Practice Advancement and Clinical Education (PACE), and Sachiko Ozawa, Ph.D., associate professor in PACE. The 10-year contract is an opportunity for the School to expand its global presence in supply chain and pharmaceutical management training and become a leader in global pharmacy education.
“I have felt that the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy had an untapped opportunity to expand its engagement with USAID and various global non-governmental organizations,” said Eckel. “Knowing that substandard and falsified medications are a global issue, having the opportunity to participate in educating others on best practices in pharmaceutical supply chain is tremendous. I am excited to receive the opportunity to teach in this area, because this is the expertise of pharmacists.”
To date, schools of public health and business have been in this area rather than schools of pharmacy. This is a chance for the School to become known in an area that is core to the profession of pharmacy, and pairs well with Eckel’s teaching of pharmaceutical supply chain excellence through the School’s M.S. concentrating in Health-System Pharmacy Administration program.
Being part of this contract allows the School and its consortiums to bid for task orders estimated to total $2-2.5 billion. Technical assistance requested through this mechanism could include improving pharmaceutical management systems, providing direct operational and capacity development support to governments and other local institutions and more.
“This will allow the School to play an important role in addressing global challenges in supply chain resilience, health care access and pharmaceutical distribution,” said Ozawa. “This aligns with the School’s mission to develop leaders in pharmacy education, pharmacy practice and pharmaceutical sciences who make a difference in human health worldwide.”
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