National Drug Policy formulated

Nadira Gunatilleke

COLOMBO: Health Care and Nutrition Ministry is now in the process of formulating a National Drug Policy under the guidance of Health Care and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva, a Health Care and Nutrition Ministry spokesman said.

He said that the main objective is providing high quality drugs to the public effectively and at a low price.

The ministry has also made arrangements to introduce a fast track registration process to break the authority now existing for certain drugs.

It is expected to make drugs available for cheeper rates for the public. Rs. 11,000 million has allocated from the previous budget to purchase drugs.

The ministry has also decided to change the existing tender procedure of purchasing drugs. Under present system tenders are being called annually but according to the new system tenders will be called once in three or four years to purchase drugs. A large amount of money can be saved by this new system, he said.

The ministry will be set up a data bank on drugs used in Sri Lanka and all the data will be computerize in order to provide a better service to the public through distributing drugs effectively between drug stores and hospitals.

At the moment there is no data on what drugs available at state and private hospitals and their amounts. Due to lack of data a large amount of drugs and funds are being wasted. A drug store network will be set up to store and distribute drugs effectively. Under this project drug stores will be set up at all provinces.

This step has taken after a large shipment of drugs received during Tsunami disaster was destroyed due to lack of store facilities.

The ministry has already set up a modern drug store complex with four stores and eight cool rooms at a cost of Rs.110 million at Angoda.