The organization of an integrated Ministry of Health (MoH) pharmaceutical and commodity supply management system (known as SUGEMI, by the Spanish acronym) in Dominican Republic demanded an innovative training strategy for immediate implementation and long-term sustainability. During its early design, selected MoH personnel participated in the development of SUGEMI standard operating procedures (SOP). This experience provided them with the knowledge of pharmaceutical management basic principles and SUGEMI operational routines, turning them into potential leaders and trainers for the subsequent implementation phase. Formal training of these leaders for the rollout of SUGEMI included pedagogical techniques for the reproduction of training sessions at regional health services (RHS) and health facilities. By the end of 2012, SUGEMI was operating in all health facilities and RHS, and the TB and HIV/AIDS programmes were integrated to it.
