The Moroccan Agency for Medicines Launches an Ambitious Reform

The Board of Directors of the Moroccan Agency for Medicines and Health Products met on December 17 in Rabat. On this occasion, the Minister of Health and Social Protection presented an assessment of the institution’s first year of implementation and outlined the main directions for the months ahead.

The creation of the Agency is part of a broad institutional reform effort aimed at correcting the dysfunctions inherited from the former directorate, affecting organization, work tools, and operating methods, according to a statement from the Agency. Despite a complex context, the previous team ensured a minimum level of activity, guaranteeing continuity in the public medicine service, even though the ambitions of an institution with a sovereign mandate have not yet been achieved, the same source specifies.

The statement adds that, despite this complex context, the team in place prior to the Agency’s creation succeeded in maintaining a minimum level of activity, helping preserve the continuity of the public medicine service. However, this level remained below the expectations associated with an institution of sovereign vocation.

The strategic choice to transform this directorate into an autonomous and independent agency aims to correct these structural dysfunctions and lay the foundations for a new governance model. However, the transition to agency status does not, in itself, automatically guarantee performance, which explains the demanding nature of the current transitional phase, the statement details.

The past year was a pivotal one, marked by the maintenance of public service continuity but also by implementation difficulties observed during the early stages of the launch, within a context of deep institutional transformation. The situation was gradually stabilized, without yet reaching the desired level of structuring.

The coming months are considered decisive to finalize the Agency’s effective launch, complete the establishment of its internal mechanisms, and initiate a phase of sustainable structuring.

Human resources constitute one of the central pillars of this transition. The return of part of the staff to the Ministry falls within the rights guaranteed by law to civil servants. This situation raises legitimate questions but does not, at this stage, reflect a critical loss of skills. It may also be viewed as an opportunity to renew and strengthen the Agency’s human capital, particularly through the integration of new competencies. Temporary secondment mechanisms may support this phase to ensure continuity of activity.

Digitalization: a Priority Lever

Digitalization appears as a priority lever. The initial absence of a structured information system hindered effective management, but a project is now underway to dematerialize procedures, enhance transparency, reduce human interaction, and improve the processing of marketing authorizations, within a legal framework that is currently being clarified.

This project is closely linked to the establishment of a National Medicines Observatory, intended to improve visibility on product availability, stock levels, production, and consumption. The objective is to strengthen anticipation and prevention capabilities regarding supply shortages, in consultation with all stakeholders in the sector.

Finally, the national laboratory has been identified as a strategic tool with a sovereign dimension. Its reorganization requires a clear vision regarding its repositioning, future missions, required investments, and the skills to be developed. National and international partnerships may be considered, while ensuring the preservation and strengthening of the national strategic core, the statement concludes.