작성일자: 2014.3.24

작성자: 알제 무역관 Ms Lilia Issad(Iilia.issad.kotra@gmail.com)

1. Market overview:

 ○ Tunisian pharmaceutical sector is characterized by a strong public sector that was actively developed by the state since the early 1960s. The private sector is also very active: it has always been, through the network of pharmacies, the main vector of drug distribution.

 ○ The central pharmacy of Tunisia (PCT) handles the import of vaccines, serums, allergens, blood products and for all other types of drugs. The Institute Pasteur is responsible for the analysis of vaccines.

 ○ The PCT conducts international tenders in its acquisitions of drugs. Procedures separate international tenders have been put in place for the supply of public hospital sector but also for the acquisition of a few molecules of high consumption in the pharmacy sector. The use of tender procedures, whose purpose is to reduce purchasing costs of drugs, is perfectly legitimate comparing to the need to make good use of limited financial resources and the policy is consistent with the recommendations of the World Bank in this regard.

2. Procedures of Tenders:

 ○ The PCT has a public, economic and commercial nature. By its nature, as all central public procurement of drugs in the world, it must ensure the supply of public hospitals and all other health dependent structures of the Ministry of Public Health. PCT performs this function by passing markets traded OTC or after bidding to provide the lowest cost to national and international suppliers. Establishments in the public health sector in supplying the various agencies of the PCT across the country and drugs purchased are invoiced at prices reflecting the reality of acquisition and distribution costs.

 ○ Tenders are managed by the PCT conventionally compared to international standard. Tenders are made public and a set of detailed and strict specifications is available to potential bidders; complete offers are studied and validated by the PCT and the good quality and price ratio product bidder is likely to be finally adopted.

 ○ The tenders are published on the website of the PCT with the specifications that bidders must respect: www.phct.com.tn

 ○ For the moment, there is no tender about vaccines but here are some old tenders published in 2014:

3. Demand Trend:

 ○ Vaccines and sera are specific drugs whose use is often programmed in the framework of global immunization campaign. Regarding other biological products including blood derivatives, their methods of dispensing are also quite specific and mainly used in hospitals.

 ○ In the procurement process, the first step is the needs identification. The total of vaccines’ needs during the national immunization program is evaluated in consultation with the Department of Health Care Base (DSSB) of the Ministry of Public Health.

4. Import statistics:

Source: Institut National des statistiques

5. Competition Trend:

 ○ According to PCT, the pentavalent vaccine is imported from Sanofi Pasteur France. The product is Pentamix and it competes with Glaxosmithkline laboratory also.

 ○ The sales manager told us that this pentavalent vaccine is for the ministry of health and distributed in clinics and hospitals for vaccination campaigns.