Price control for drugs soon
Nadira GUNATILLEKE
A price control system for drugs is to be introduced in Sri Lanka by
end of this month or by early next month. Discussions have already been
held in this regard with Cooperatives and Internal Trade Minister
Johnston Fernando.
The price control is to be implemented in three stages and during the
first stage, the prices of non essential drugs are to be controlled,
Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena said.
Addressing a press conference at the Health Education Bureau
auditorium yesterday, Minister Sirisena said that price control for
essential drugs will be implemented at a later stage. There are 282
types of essential drugs and 1400 brands of drugs in all in Sri Lanka at
the moment. A total of 21,000 medical supplies (drugs, gloves, syringes
etc) are used in the country.
Cosmetic Devices and Drugs Authority Director Dr. Hemantha Beneragama
said that the public can make complaints and inform the relevant
authorities about any irregularity taking place at private pharmacies by
dialing 0112695173 or faxing the complaint to 0112689704 or emailing to
[email protected]. All information on all registered drugs available in
Sri Lanka can be obtained from www.cdda.gov.lk
"There are 3,208 registered private pharmacies in Sri Lanka at the
moment. Some pharmacies switch on their air conditioners only when the
inspectors arrive. A private pharmacy in Kandy had sold a drug used for
diabetes patients to a child instead of the prescribed cough syrup.
There was no qualified pharmacist at that pharmacy at the time of
selling the drug. The license of the pharmacy will be cancelled", he
added.
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