SUPPLIERS STRONGLY SUPPORT JOINT NORDIC TENDERING PROCEDURES

There has been good progress ever since the Nordic countries announced their first joint tendering procedure back in 2019. Iceland has joined, more medicines have been included, and environmental criteria have become part of the procedures. Over time, these environmental criteria have focused more on global challenges such as antibiotic resistance. We have received bids in all our tendering procedures, and more and more suppliers are participating in our joint Nordic procedures.

Getting to where we are today has been complex and hard work for all the countries. But after going through the process several times, and holding many meetings with our suppliers, there is a lot of support - both for the joint Nordic procedures and for the environmental criteria. 

"It's really good to see how pharmaceutical companies are working with us. This confirms that over the years they have become more familiar with the Nordic tendering procedures, and that companies themselves have focus on contributing to the sustainable agenda. In my view this is extremely positive," says Flemming Sonne, CEO of Amgros.

We’ve decided to focus on requirements for antibiotics in this latest tendering procedure, because the Nordic countries want to help reduce increasing resistance.

We've listened to suppliers and taken our outset in an international standard to combat antibiotics resistance. The international standard makes it easier for suppliers to operate in a global medicines market.

- The sustainability agenda is very important in Norway. That's why it's great that we're constantly moving forward with the joint Nordic tendering procedures and working together to develop our environmental criteria. I also think it's important that we in the Nordic region show the rest of Europe that it's actually possible both to consider the environment and to secure the supply of medicines, says Tommy Juhl Nielsen, Director of the Pharma Division at Sykehusinnkjøp HF, Norway.

Iceland, Norway and Denmark are all struggling to secure supplies of certain medicines. Especially older medicines. Therefore, the recently completed tendering procedure targeted older, well-known medicines with supply challenges. 

- Iceland has the added challenge that we are a really small market, so it's important for us that pharmaceutical suppliers continue to show an interest in helping to secure the supply of medicines to Iceland. This means it makes so much sense for us to participate in the Nordic cooperation on joint procurement of pharmaceuticals, says Hulda Harðardóttir, Project Manager for Pharmaceutical Procurement, Procurement Department, Landspítali, Iceland.

A total of 14 suppliers have participated in this latest joint Nordic call for tenders.

The agreements will come into effect on 1 April 2025 and last for two years, with an option to extend.

The medicines covered by the agreements are:

Ampicillin
Piperacillin and tazobactam
Cefuroxime
Gentamicin
Ciprofloxacin
Vancomycin
Ondansetron
Hydrocortisone
Fluconazole
Acyclovir
Methotrexate
Paracetamol
Meropenem

Read the environmental criteria in the call for tenders here

Price weighted 50%, environment weighted 30% and security of supply weighted 20%.

Read more here: International standard against resistance to antibiotics included in Nordic tendering procedures - Amgros