How to Register Pharmaceutical Products in Solomon Islands

The Solomon Islands have a high burden of malaria and neglected tropical diseases. It has a fast-rising burden of noncommunicable diseases and lacks local drug manufacturing.

Despite these issues, it does not have an online drug registration portal like NAFDAC, and this discourages most first-time exporters.

Manufacturers think that the process for “pharmaceutical product registration” in the Solomon Islands is similar to that in Nigeria, Kenya, and the Philippines, where the process involves a dossier, there is a portal, and a certificate is issued.

This is absolutely not the case. Manufacturers that come to the Solomon Islands with this type of mentality waste many months in the process that does not exist, while their competitors that are aware of the true system, which is import licensing under the 1941 Act, along with donor and government procurement qualification, obtain supply contracts that span multiple years.

This guide will provide the proper steps to try to obtain a supply contract in this small, yet strategically important Pacific market, for a manufacturer who is WHO-GMP compliant.

Now let’s examine why this market is the focus for attracting supply contracts.

A Small, Remote Market With an Outsized Health Need

Selling in the Solomon Islands requires an understanding of the intricacies of the market.

The Solomon Islands face very high levels of severe infectious diseases as well as a growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Due to the very high demand for quality pharmaceutical products (as a result of almost total dependence on imported products), these markets encompass significant opportunities for quality-oriented suppliers.

The demand: a genuine double burden of disease

It is critical to address the high burden of disease in the Solomon Islands, confirming that this region is not a marginal market to be ignored.

Per the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021, the Solomon Islands have one of the highest burdens of NTDs and malaria, reporting a GBD age-standardized incidence rate of 27,628 per 100,000.^[1]

As a non-African country, the Solomon Islands reported one of the top ten highest cases of NTDs and Malaria alongside Liberia, Sierra Leone, and the rest of the countries located on the African continent.

The national malaria control plan has had a roller coaster effect. The annual incidence of malaria reported a direct decrease from 6.4 million to 40 approx. 2 million^[2] and then, suddenly in 2017, the reported incidence increased to above 80 cases per 1,000.^[3] This shows the demand for Antimalarials is persistent and cyclical.

The majority of deaths in all of the Pacific Island countries are attributed to non-communicable diseases.

The Solomon Islands is showing an increase in hypertension and cholesterol, which, in turn, is driving demand for cardiovascular and diabetes medicines.

This shows the double burden of disease. It illustrates the large infectious-disease burden along with the growing burden of chronic diseases.

There are few markets of this size that demand that suppliers address both ends of the therapeutic spectrum.

The dependence: import-reliant, with little local manufacturing

Without drug production, every hole in the supply chain is a patient safety concern, rather than a business concern.

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Solomon Islands, a developing Island State with a population of about 858,288, expects its economy to grow by about 2.8% by 2026^[4] and expects the per capita GDP to be about US$2,258.

The population is small, fast-growing, and dispersed, almost entirely dependent on imported pharmaceutical products.

Since the Solomon Islands have a big problem with the disease and a high dependence on imports, a quality generics manufacturer can find the market with the right entry route.

After analyzing the demand and dependence, let’s continue with the requirements for “registration” as stated in the Solomon Islands law.

What “Registration” Actually Means in Solomon Islands

No current recording agency exists here. Entrances are based on a 1941 import registration law and a public, procurement-led supply method.

The legal framework: the Pharmacy and Poisons Act (1941)

Exporters cannot be searched in the “Solomon Islands Drug Registration Portal” because there is no such portal. Additionally, misunderstanding the legal framework is costly and time-consuming.

The Pharmacy and Poisons Act (1941) in the Solomon Islands provides control over the registration of pharmacists as well as the control of medicines and poisons.

Also, the licensing of commercial premises is provided. Selling medicines and poisons without a license may result in loss of stock, penalties, and imprisonment.

The Pharmacy and Poisons Act is managed by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) in the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS).

Market access assessments and approvals of products are conducted by the Board.

It is said that a National Medicines Policy has been under consultation, indicating some modernization of the framework.

It is important to understand that this is a small, very old legal framework compared to the larger markets, and not a sophisticated framework with a lot of procedures.

The supply reality: a public, procurement-led system

Many exporters think that the main channel is through commercial retail sales.

They are wrong, and failing to understand this is the largest strategic blunder most exporters will experience in this market.

The MHMS National Pharmacy Division and the National Medical Store control the supply of all medicines across the government health facilities in the Solomon Islands.

They oversee the buying and distribution of medicines to the provincial and community health centers.

Most takeaways for this market are that most drugs are sourced and supplied through public procurement and donor financing, and sales in the private commercial market are limited.

Therefore, ‘getting registered’ is the most important step. The next step is certifying oneself as an eligible quality-assured supplier.

With the legal and supply environment now clear, we can see how this market punishes suppliers that enter the market unprepared.

Why This Market Punishes the Unprepared

Thin procurement, regulation, and documentation systems turn unreliable suppliers into short-lived ones in the market, but also create opportunities for reliable suppliers.

Buyers from underdeveloped markets have less ability to absorb unreliable supply.

An unreliable shipment in a larger market with a procurement system may not have the same immediate negative effect on patients as a shipment that is substandard in an underdeveloped market.

Low- and middle-income countries, like the Solomon Islands, that utilize fragmented procurement systems and have increased prices and stock shortages cannot absorb suppliers who are not consistent with quality or punctuality.

Field assessments have documented existing stock management issues in the area. There are studies that show expired oral rehydration salts in 55% of the surveyed facilities in the Pacific Health System. These studies show how much the system relies on timely, quality, and assured supplies, as well as demand forecasting.

Because little of the system is publicly documented, suppliers that rely on undocumented blogs for a “process” act on long-held assumptions that are misguided.

The solution to this is working directly with the ministries as well as creating a quality assurance system that buyers can trust at first sight.

Fragmented procurement, thin regulatory capacity, and a documentation vacuum combine to make unreliable suppliers fail fast and reward disciplined ones.

Quick data snapshot:

Risk Factor	Why It Matters for Exporters
Fragmented procurement	Price volatility and stockouts with unreliable suppliers
Expired stock at facility level	Indicates forecasting and cold-chain challenges a supplier will need to address
Thin regulatory publishing	Requires direct MHMS dialogue, not desk research
Small population, dispersed geography	Favors suppliers that can provide flexible batch sizes with dependable logistics

Having discussed the risks with this market, we will now look at the four traps exporters face.

The Four Traps Foreign Exporters Fall Into

Below are the main reasons companies fail to enter the market in the Solomon Islands.

The first is an assumption that an online registration system exists. Rather than a system similar to NAFDAC or TGA that provides an electronic portal, the registration system is a combination of import licensing that falls under the 1941 Act and procurement qualification.

The second is an underestimation of the gatekeeping function of quality assurance.

For publicly or donor-funded procurement, a WHO prequalification or an approval of a stringent regulatory authority is the actual determining factor and is far more substantial than the fulfillment of local requirements.

The third is the failure to engage a local agent. In practice, a licensed importer or distributor based in the Solomon Islands is a prerequisite for the import licensing and customs clearance, as well as the final distribution to numerous islands.

The fourth of the common reasons is considered a one-time sale. Public tenders and donor procurement programs reward companies for supplying consistently and providing documentation and post-shipment service/monitoring, rather than providing a one-time shipment.

In the following sections, we will describe the actual market entry process in the Solomon Islands, taking care to avoid the traps.

The Real Market-Entry Pathway, Step by Step

Six practical steps take a manufacturer from route selection to sustained, tender-eligible supply.

The following is the resilience framework, supply architecture, documentation, and procurement protocol. Developed from what actually works in this market.

Step 1 – Choose your route to market

Choose between the public sector supply through the MHMS/National Medical Store tenders; donor-funded pooled procurement for malaria, TB, and HIV products; or the limited private sector through licensed importers and pharmacies. The pathway selected will prioritize different requirements.

Step 2 – Secure recognised quality assurance (the real gatekeeper)

Always prioritize quality assurance: this means current WHO-GMP certification, complete product dossiers (Certificates of Pharmaceutical Product, Certificates of Analysis, and relevant stability and bioequivalence data), and, for a range of products, WHO prequalification or approval from a stringent regulatory authority.

Buyers using pooled procurement commonly stipulate that products must meet internationally recognized quality standards, including WHO prequalification.

This is especially relevant for the Solomon Islands, as they have limited national regulatory capacity.

Step 3 – Appoint a licensed local importer or agent

Work with an in-country importer/distributor who is licensed under the Pharmacy and Poisons Act.

This kind of partner will handle the import licensing, customs clearance, port handling, and distribution, and will manage the Ministry, Pharmacy, and Poisons Board for you.

Step 4 – Obtain import authorization and product approval under the Act

You will need to work with your agent to obtain the import authorization from the Pharmacy and Poisons Board/MHMS and check for compliant labeling (product name, active ingredient, strength, manufacturer, and date of expiry).

Please check directly with MHMS for current forms, documents, and fees, as they are not published reliably online.

Medicines for importation require authorization; samples of the products may be inspected at authorized points of entry, and manufacturers must comply with the WHO-GMP requirements.

Step 5 – Qualify for the procurement channels that actually buy

For public supply, register as an MHMS/National Medical Store supplier and submit tenders.

For disease-programme products, position to donor channels as follows: the Global Fund’s pooled procurement platform (wambo.org), UNICEF Supply Division (Vaccines), and the Global Drug Facility (TB).

The Global Fund’s Pooled Procurement Mechanism had an estimated total order value of US$1.02 billion across 81 countries in 2025^[5] and procured quality-assured products for HIV, TB, and Malaria programmes.

Step 6 – Meet import logistics, GDP, and ongoing obligations.

Distribute exclusively through approved ports while anticipating sample collection and inspections at the ports of entry.

Good Distribution Practice (GDP) must be followed for the ambient and cold chain.

After the initial distribution has taken place, and in order to remain competitive for future tenders, pharmacovigilance, batch documentation, and renewals must be performed on a continual basis.

With the understanding we have obtained regarding the processes, we can now create a singular reference checklist for the documentation required.

Credential & Document Checklist for Market Entry

A serious supplier prepares this dossier regardless of which channel it ultimately targets.

Credential / document	Why it matters
Current WHO-GMP certificate	Baseline proof of manufacturing quality; expected across all channels
Certificate of Pharmaceutical Product (CoPP, WHO format)	Confirms the product is approved and marketed in the country of origin
Comprehensive Certificate of Analysis + stability data	Batch quality and shelf-life evidence
WHO prequalification OR stringent-regulatory-authority approval	Often the decisive eligibility test for donor and public procurement
Bioequivalence / biowaiver data (generics)	Therapeutic-equivalence evidence for the dossier
Licensed in-country importer/agent appointment	Required, in practice, for import licensing and distribution
Import authorization / product approval (PPB/MHMS)	Legal clearance to bring the product in — confirm exact forms with MHMS
Compliant product labeling artwork	Name, actives, strength, manufacturer, batch and expiry per the Act
Good Distribution Practice (GDP) capability	Maintains quality through ports and the supply chain
Pharmacovigilance / adverse-event contact	Supports post-market safety and ongoing eligibility

The Solomon Islands don’t have an e-portal for a fee schedule like NAFDAC’s. Please contact the Ministry of Health and Medical Services to check the latest requirements and fees for the Pharmacy and Poisons Board.

Since the documentation is now more precise, we can line up the three actual routes to market more clearly.

The Three Routes to Market, Compared

The most valuable feature of the article is this comparison; it displays to exporters the specific targets to focus their market access efforts on.

Channel	How It Works	Decisive Requirement
Public sector MHMS / National Medical Store	Medicines are procured through government tenders and distributed free of charge to public health facilities.	Supplier registration, quality assurance, competitive pricing, and reliable supply
Donor pooled procurement Global Fund (wambo.org), UNICEF Supply Division, Global Drug Facility	Pooled procurement for malaria, tuberculosis (TB), HIV, vaccines, and other priority health programs on behalf of the country.	WHO Prequalification (WHO-PQ) or equivalent quality assurance, typically required
Private sector Licensed importers & pharmacies	Medicines are imported and sold through licensed pharmacies, primarily in Honiara and other urban centers.	Import licensing, product approval by the PPB, and appointment of a licensed local agent

Which channel should a new exporter target first? For most new suppliers, donor-pooled procurement is the best option, as the eligibility requirements (WHO-GMP, WHO Prequalification) are based on international standards.

So, for a manufacturer who has these requirements for other markets, this becomes a quicker route as well.

Now that the path is defined, let’s see why, in this context, Indian WHO-GMP manufacturers have a significant competitive advantage in this market.

How WHO-GMP Manufacturers win in the Pacific

India closely matches what the Solomon Islands require from the capacity of quality-assured generics supply in addressing the burden of infectious diseases and NCDs.

India is already the backbone of quality-assured supply to LMICs

While India makes 500 different APIs, accounting for 57% of the WHO API^[6] pre-qualification list, India is the largest supplier of quality-assured generic API to low- and middle-income countries.

India makes around 80% of the Antiretrovirals^[7] used against HIV/AIDS around the world.

India contributes around 20% of the world’s exports^[8] of generic medicines. In FY25, India’s total pharmaceutical exports are expected to be around 30.47 billion USD.^[9]

Match the portfolio to the burden

India’s pharmaceutical product ecosystem has a lot to offer the Solomon Islands, especially in antimalarial and anti-infective products as part of a response to its communicable-disease burden, and in affordable formulations for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes as part of its response to non-communicable diseases.

A WHO-GMP manufacturer with prequalification-grade quality assurance and a competent local partner would be in a good position to leverage both public tenders and donor opportunities.

After linking supply capabilities to local needs, we will now deal with the requests for clarification that exporters ask most often.

FAQ Section

Conclusion

The Solomon Islands will not respond positively to a reckless export strategy.

However, they do need dependable, inexpensive, and high-quality medicines to address their infectious disease burden, as well as their rising burden of non-communicable diseases.

There is no easy way to do this. There are minimal laws, a procurement-centric supply strategy, and a strong preference for globally accepted quality assurance.

Maintain WHO-GMP-grade quality, focus on gaining WHO prequalification where required, select a qualified local partner, and directly involve the Ministry, and a small, underserved market will be transformed into a sustainable and repeatable market.