The National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) said that legal actions will be taken against private health institutions, despite their status, where medicines and other medical items are being sold at a very high price, thereby violating the Government’s regulations regarding the Maximum Retail Prices (MRPs).

Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (8), the NMRA Chairman Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama said that the Private Health Services Regulatory Council (PHSRC) which is established under the Ministry of Health is looking into the related matters and taking measures to regulate the private health institutions. He also noted that the identified institutions will be prosecuted under the prescribed laws of the country. He noted that no institution has the power to sell any kind of medicine or other health related items exceeding the prices of the relevant Government’s gazette notifications issued by the Minister of Health. 

“The Health Minister has the power to issue gazette notifications regarding the prices of medicines. Accordingly, an MRP will be gazetted for every medicine. Consequently, those medicines should be sold at those MRPs. If someone is violating those regulations, the Ministry has the power to take legal actions against that party,” he said.  Dr. Wijewickrama also stated that the PHSRC should be attentive toward private medical institutions and should take strict actions if someone is identified with such misconduct. 

Last week, a leading private hospital in Colombo, which had allegedly billed its patients with exorbitant rates for common drugs that have a MRP, had been summoned by the courts following charges filed by the NMRA. The actions have reportedly been taken following several public complaints that were received in July (2023) and an inquiry that was carried out to learn that the hospital in question had billed common drugs at higher prices.