The established stockpile includes the most important vaccines, antibiotics, and anti-inflammatory drugs necessary for managing and preventing diseases of agricultural livestock and poultry. The purpose of the stockpile is to improve the security of supply of the medicinal products and to mitigate risks related to possible long-term supply disruptions.
At the beginning of this year, ESPA completed a public procurement and concluded agreements with wholesalers of medicinal products, which obligated these companies to establish, store, and constantly update additional stocks of veterinary medicinal products. ESPA reimburses contractual partners for the cost of holding additional stock, but does not buy out the medicines.
Pursuant to the agreements, the wholesalers had eight months to establish the stockpile, but the majority of the medicinal products reached warehouses already in summer, with the final product, which has a longer supply cycle, arriving in early October.
According to Kaarel Parts, Healthcare Supply Manager at ESPA, experts from the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture, the State Agency of Medicines, the Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science of the Estonian University of Life Sciences, and the Estonian Veterinary Association helped the ESPA to establish the veterinary medicinal product stockpile.
‘A stockpile of veterinary medicinal products controlled by the state adds another protective layer to our food security. Should there be a major outbreak of an animal or bird disease resulting in the deficit of an important drug, the stockpile would help to alleviate the initial impact. In addition, it is very difficult for Estonia to compete with bigger countries in the event of global supply difficulties, so a local stockpile is necessary,’ Parts explained the possible situations where the stockpile would be used.
The wholesalers may not release the strategic stockpile of veterinary medicinal products for use independently; instead, this may be done with the permission of the Estonian Stockpiling Agency based on a decision of the government.
Pursuant to the Public Information Act, the exact nomenclature, quantities, locations, and usage conditions of the state’s operating reserve are not public information.
