New GPC 

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) set out a vision for ending poverty, hunger and inequality, and protecting the Earth’s natural resources by 2030. These goals are reflected in New GPC’s Social Investment strategy through its focus on health through affordable access to medicine. Programmes that are designed to promote well- being through sports are also aligned to the SDG goals.

It should be noted that the CSR concept of shared-value in Guyana is still in its formative stage and while in other MDCs in the region there is a thrust towards strategic partnerships and global standards, this is not quite so for this territory – at least not just yet.

The New GPC does however work with NGOs to implement and monitor programmes. Its primary partner is the Guyana Diabetic Association. Based on data out of the Ministry of Public Health, as at last year there were more than 50,000 people living in Guyana with diabetes and that number is likely to be on the increase. The New GPC team works with registered nurse Mrs. Glynis Alonzo-Beaton, President of the Association, to conduct educational outreach, health assessments including free HBIC tests and distribute free drugs to communities.

The New GPC CSR strategy is built on Shared Value principles where business objectives and social responsibility converge. The health outreach provides a marketing value to products that are locally produced and more affordable than imported drugs. The company’s investment in sports is aligned with its core objectives of a healthier Guyana through healthy life- styles.

In partnership with the Diabetic Association, NGPC’s medical outreach has a structured programme to bring awareness to the disease using pictorial aids to ensure that persons who are not literate can also benefit from the programmes. Due to lack of electricity in some areas, video is not an option. The Company has established drug distributors throughout the country including remote areas to ensure continuous availability and cost-efficient drugs. Most of the generics provided by NGPC cost on average 500% less than imported drugs. Apart from standard drug treatments such as atrostatin and metformin, the Company also produces and distributes especially for diabetics, sugar-free medicines for colds and flus, tonics, vitamins and even a generic form of Viagra called Excite.

The outreach targets one community per month and staff volunteers organize to set up and take sample drugs to support the programme. The programme also includes the services of a nutritionist to address food and nutrition as a necessary intervention to combat and prevent diabetes and other lifestyle diseases. The team is accompanied by a medical doctor who is able to conduct on-site examinations and administer prescriptions as required. The programme is able to reach hinterland communities in regions one, two, seven, eight, nine and ten, by setting up in markets where many indigenous people travel to trade goods. Due to limited human resources and the capacity of the Diabetic Association, the programme is somewhat limited but still gets to remote regions though the efforts of Mrs. Baton’s team. The team often travels for days using speedboats, ferries and trucks to get to hinterland areas. Now in its sixth month, an average of about 250 persons attend the monthly sessions.

The major challenge is funding. The Diabetes Association does its own funding and staff at NGPC also do fund raising to conduct community sessions. Money is needed for independent eye testing equipment as ocular diseases are a common side effect of diabetes. Although many communities are in need of foot care and eye care clinics for diabetic; but most rural clinics are not equipped to meet these needs and patients are unable to travel because of the costs and distance. The Company hosts a weekly talk programme on Radio Guyana 89.5 to get to those persons who cannot be accessed by the team.

New GPC’s social investment also includes corporate outreach through school tours of its facilities and sponsorship of medical students in its ongoing efforts to promote the sciences. Its recruitment of local talent also helps in building capability and capacity in country for the industry. The complement of over 100 staff covers several disciplines including chemists, biologists and microbiologists, machine operators, batch leaders, pharmacists, plant engineers, maintenance technicians, inventory, information technology, accounting and finance, human resource, procurement, quality analysts and technical and administrative staff.

The Company is best known for its investment in sport. The company sponsors career athletes including the Amazon Warriors cricket team. Discussions are underway with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and the Caribbean Premier League to strengthen the sport among the youth of the hinterland community. The company also sponsors football, hockey and rugby.

The Company is aspiring to grow its sponsorship of cricket with the Guyana Amazon Warriors through a new 5-year initiative aimed at engaging and inspiring indigenous peoples. Cricket in the Jungle is a structured five-year programme. Phase One targets youth 6-16 year olds and provides coaches, equipment and mentorship for two years. Phase Two takes the cream of the crop into competitive cricket and Phase Three, the final year identifies the cricket stars for regional and international participation.

The programme can benefit from additional funding of equipment, uniform and coaches if a co-sponsor comes on board to broaden the reach, impact and sustainability.

Business Profile

The New GPC Inc. is a private company which has its roots in the Bookers Drug Store of the 1920’s colonial period. Bookers manufactured principal proprietary medicines that were, up to that time, being imported into British Guiana.

The Company’s product line quickly expanded to include products such as Limacol and Ferrol, which were immediate successes on both local and international markets. Over the years these and many other of the Company’s products became household names in Guyana and throughout the Caribbean.

In the years that followed the company underwent several corporate changes both in ownership and name culminating in its nationalisation in 1976 and the establishment of the Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation Ltd. In December 1999 pursuant to the Government of Guyana’s Privatization Policy, the Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation Ltd. was privatized and the present company, New GPC Inc. (new GPC) was formed. The government is a 10% shareholder.

New GPC carries on a ninety-year tradition as the Caribbean’s oldest and largest pharmaceutical manufacturer of generic pharmaceuticals and over-the-counter preparations of the highest quality. The Company is proud to be a major contributor to the economy and to be one of the largest companies providing continuous employment.

New GPC manufactures approximately two hundred generic, over-the-counter and veterinary products. The Company’s product line also extends to cosmetics, household cleaning agents and an array of essences. These products are all sold on local and international markets.