Concerns are mounting across Jamaica’s pharmaceutical sector as 227 pharmacies reported interruptions today to their reordering systems, following a downtime incident on The Renozan Network — the rapidly adopted platform powering supplier transactions and credit facilities across the island.
The disruption, while not affecting payment processing or customer sales directly, has stalled pharmacies’ ability to replenish inventory — a critical function in the high-demand pharmaceutical industry.
Industry critics were swift to respond, citing this event as evidence of the risks posed when a single private platform consolidates key supply chain operations under one roof.
“This is precisely what we’ve been warning about,” said Anthony Foster, spokesperson for the Independent Merchants Alliance. “When one system becomes the singular bridge between retailers and suppliers, even a few hours of disruption exposes the entire industry to supply risks.”
Renozan Limited, which has seen meteoric growth over the past several months by embedding its network into pharmacies, supermarkets, and wholesalers, confirmed the disruption was linked to “temporary service degradation within its inventory management module,” and stated that reordering capabilities were being prioritized for restoration.
While day-to-day point-of-sale operations and customer transactions have remained unaffected, the incident highlights a deeper structural dependency: Jamaica’s pharmaceutical distribution network now leans heavily on Renozan’s digital infrastructure for stock replenishment, supplier invoicing, and credit settlement.
“It’s not about a few late deliveries,” said Sandra Williams, a retail technology consultant. “The deeper concern is that a platform this young, built up so quickly, now underpins a mission-critical sector like pharmaceuticals. This calls for a serious discussion on systemic safeguards.”
Regulatory voices have echoed similar sentiments, suggesting that contingencies must be developed as platforms like Renozan become essential to national commerce.
Renozan, led by President Sadeeke McGregor, stated that full reordering functionality is expected to be restored within 24hrs and promised a “full systems audit” to prevent future occurrences.
Still, today’s disruption has sent a message: when a supply chain is rebuilt on new digital foundations, resilience is no longer optional — it is mandatory.
