Taylor’s University endorsed as APEC-LSIF Centre of Excellence
IN this globalized world with global healthcare challenges, countries are increasingly dependent on the global marketplace to provide medical products needed to keep their citizens healthy by ensuring that access to legitimate products is not disrupted.
This has been brought home and made very apparent during the Covid-19 pandemic where there were worldwide shortages in facemasks, Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and even certain medicines.
Thus, ensuring a reliable and continuous supply chain of good quality, safe and effective medical products is of great importance. Governments are aware of the constant danger of illegal and unsafe medicines and the harm it can cause patients.
This danger has been compounded and further facilitated through the internet sales of medical products. Trade in illegal and counterfeit medicines is a serious problem and both developing and developed nations have been grappling with this problem and unfortunately, in many countries, patient safety has been compromised.
There is therefore a global need for effective supply chain processes that begin with the manufacturer through Good Manufacturing practice (GMP), followed by Good Distribution Practice and the Track and Trace of Medical Products as they move through the supply chain even across countries and also through the internet.
Unscrupulous businesspersons have found ways to move substandard medical products and thus disrupt and contaminate the supply chain at various points to the detriment of the health of consumers. Thus, there is a need for training of regulators and industry personnel in the various aspects of the supply chain for medical products and to maintain its integrity.
We are pleased that Taylor’s University was recently endorsed as an Asia-Pacific Economic Committee (APEC) Life Sciences Innovation Forum (LSIF) Training Centre of Excellence (CoE) for “Global Supply Chain Integrity”. This is the first APEC CoE in Malaysia and only the third in the world in Global Supply Chain Integrity, the other two being in the United States of America.
This endorsement is a recognition by APEC of Taylor’s University’s expertise and capability in providing training and consultation in this important area, closely related to the provision of healthcare. This important milestone for the university and nation could not be achieved without the strong support from the Ministry of Health Malaysia.
Taylor’s University APEC LSIF Centre of Excellence for Supply Chain Integrity, looks forward to collaborating with other Centres of Excellence, industry and governmental and non-governmental agencies, to provide training and consultancy in global supply chain integrity of safe, effective and quality medical products to ensure the safety and health of consumers.
Sincerely,
Professor Dr P.T. Thomas
Director,
Taylor’s University APEC CoE
Executive Dean,
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences,
Taylor’s University
Vision
The COE will contribute to a reliable and consistent global supply chain that will lead to the access to safe, effective and quality medical products that transcends economies, wealth, ethnicity and religion.
Mission
To provide training and consultancy in global supply chain integrity of medical products in collaboration with other Centres of Excellence, industry and governmental and non-governmental agencies