Consultations on a proposed overhaul of Antigua and Barbuda’s pharmacy laws began Monday at Parliament, as officials and industry stakeholders reviewed the draft Pharmacy Bill and Regulations 2026.
The sessions are being hosted by the Antigua and Barbuda Pharmacy Council in collaboration with the Chief Parliamentary Counsel’s Office within the Ministry of Legal Affairs.
According to draft versions circulated online, the bill seeks to update laws governing the practice of pharmacy, the sale of drugs and poisons, and the registration and regulation of pharmacists and pharmacy businesses.
The two-day consultations run from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday and Tuesday. Pharmacists participated in morning discussions on the first day, followed by wholesalers, pharmacy owners and their pharmacists in the afternoon.
Health Minister Sir Molwyn Joseph and Minister of State in the Ministry of Health Michael Joseph attended and addressed the opening session.
On Tuesday, consultations will continue with members of the general public and government regulators—including Customs, Police, the ONDCP, the Pesticide Board and the Forensic Laboratory—in the morning. Doctors, veterinarians and dentists are scheduled to give input in the afternoon.
