Over 3,000 unregistered private pharmacies

Nadira Gunatilleke

Over 3,000 unregistered private pharmacies operate countrywide. It is estimated that around 6,000 private pharmacies operate countrywide but only 622 have been registered this year, a Health Ministry spokesman said.

According to the spokesman, Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena had instructed the Cosmetic Devices and Drug Regulatory Authority to carry out raids to detect private pharmacies which do not follow rules and regulations.

The authority prosecuted 213 private pharmacies and fined Rs 3.71 million for various offences last year while in 2009 the authority earned Rs. 2.71 million from fines.

This year the authority prosecuted 13 private pharmacies for various offences such as operating without qualified pharmacist, selling unregistered drugs and selling drugs without valid prescriptions, he said. The authority detected 69 private pharmacies which stored drugs without licence last year while 63 pharmacies which operated without qualified pharmacists, 83 pharmacies which issued drugs without valid prescriptions, 41 pharmacies which sold unregistered products and 38 pharmacies which transported drugs without licence were also taken to task.