– The Ministry of Health, Wellness, Environment and Civil
Service Affairs, in collaboration with the Medical Benefits Scheme (MBS), has officially opened a new
MBS pharmacy at the Villa Polyclinic. This new facility will expand access to pharmacy services for
residents of Antigua and Barbuda.
The facility was formally opened at a brief ceremony today, marked by a ribbon-cutting by the
Honourable Minister of Health, Wellness, Environment and Civil Service Affairs, Sir Molwyn Joseph,
alongside Chairman of the Medical Benefits Board, His Excellency Sir Lionel Hurst, Chief Executive
Officer of the Medical Benefits Scheme, Mr Kevin Silston and Permanent Secretary for Primary Health
Care in the Ministry of Health, Wellness, Environment and Civil Service Affairs, Mrs Stacey Gregg-
Paige.
The Villa Polyclinic is one of the island’s key primary health-care facilities, serving a steady flow of
patients. During the ceremony, the Honourable Minister emphasised that bringing pharmacy services
into the Villa Polyclinic helps to ensure that the Villa community can access care, and that prevention
remains central to managing the growing burden of non-communicable diseases.
Epidemiologist and Director of Pharmacy at the Medical Benefits Scheme, Dr Andre Bovell, in his
opening statement, indicated that the addition of this service at the Villa Polyclinic could not have come
at a sooner time in our country’s evolving healthcare landscape. In the current environment, there is a
need for care to be targeted toward an ageing population and the burgeoning chronic non-communicable
diseases problem.
The MBS Pharmacy at the Villa Polyclinic provides pharmaceutical services on a same-day basis. The
pharmacy operates from Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.
For more information on MBS pharmacy locations and services, beneficiaries may contact the Medical
Benefits Scheme on (268) 481-6366/67/
