Rabat — The Moroccan Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AMMPS) has launched an international tender to acquire, implement, and maintain an integrated Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) for the National Laboratory for Medicines Control (LNCM).
The agency has set the total cost for supplying and implementing the system at MAD 6.42 million ($692,270) (including taxes), with annual maintenance fees reaching MAD 840,000 ($90,577).
A strategic move to modernize drug safety
This project marks a significant leap in Morocco’s efforts to modernize its medicine control system. The agency aims to update the national laboratory’s digital infrastructure, enhance the accuracy of quality control for medicines and health products, and ensure real-time tracking of laboratory analyses and data according to the highest global standards.
The LNCM plays a central role as the scientific arm of Morocco’s drug agency. The laboratory employs around 50 technical staff and executives and serves as a reference institution both regionally and internationally.
International recognition and credentials
The laboratory has earned recognition as a “pre-qualification” laboratory from the World Health Organization (WHO) for several years. It also holds observer membership in both the European and American Pharmacopoeia committees.
Since 2007, the laboratory has maintained its accreditation under the ISO 17025 standard from the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines (EDQM). This accreditation strengthens its credibility within the network of official medicines control laboratories under the Council of Europe.
Strict requirements for bidders
The project specifications impose precise and strict standards on competing companies. Bidders must submit a comprehensive technical proposal covering all functional and engineering requirements of the system. This includes an overall vision of the proposed solution, a detailed evaluation grid, and a methodological note explaining the provider’s understanding of the project’s challenges, implementation phases, and tools.
Companies must also present a precise plan for training and transferring expertise to the agency’s staff. The technical file requires a specialized work team, including a project manager with at least ten years of experience and a functional expert in LIMS systems, along with engineers and technicians specialized in databases and information systems.
Global standards and data security
The specifications require competing companies to comply with several international standards related to quality assurance and data security. These include ISO 9001 and ISO 17025 standards, the GAMP 5-Pharma standard used in the pharmaceutical industry, and data integrity requirements and electronic signature rules according to the 21 CFR 11 standard.
The new system must provide electronic audit trails for tracking, secure management of access and permissions, and effective integration with digital devices and systems used within the laboratory.
Comprehensive digital transformation
The new system will enable complete digitization of all sample processing and analysis stages. This starts from recording requests, moves through planning and allocation, and extends to recording results and issuing scientific reports and final validation reports.
The system includes advanced functions for managing out-of-specification (OOS) cases and corrective and preventive actions (CAPA), alongside modern dashboards for measuring performance and tracking work quality within the laboratory.
Rigorous evaluation process
The agency will evaluate proposals through three main phases: technical evaluation, compliance verification, and practical demonstrations. Following this, the financial evaluation will account for 30% of the final score, while the technical component represents 70%.
The agency stressed that this strategic project reflects its commitment to strengthening Morocco’s capabilities in monitoring the safety and quality of medicines, supporting the digital infrastructure of the health sector, and establishing the national laboratory’s position among the best reference laboratories in the region.
