- 7,000 meds available in market remain outside price regulation: MCPA
- Legal action by pharma companies had stalled price control efforts, but now on track to implement controls: NMRA
Out of nearly 7,500 medicines of various brands available in private pharmacies, only about 700 fall under price regulation, leaving patients no option but to buy the rest at high cost and placing them under severe financial pressure, according to the Medical and Civil Rights Professional Association of Doctors (MCPA).
Speaking to The Daily Morning, MCPA President Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa said that a recent gazette issued by the Ministry of Health set price limits for around 60 categories of medicines, which covered about 700 medicines across different brands.
However, he added that more than 7,000 other medicines remained outside this regulation and were sold in pharmacies at higher prices.
“The non-regulation of prices of these medicines has sharply increased the monthly expenses of patients who depend on long-term medication. The National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) and the Health Ministry should discuss with the relevant parties including pharmaceutical companies and make sure that these medicines are sold at affordable prices,” he added.
Dr. Sanjeewa further said that with many private pharmacies facing a serious shortage of medicines at present, patients with long-term illnesses, including cancer patients, had been forced to seek supplies from abroad through personal contacts. He noted that one of the main reasons for this situation was that several leading pharmaceutical companies had already stopped their supplies and orders to Sri Lanka.
When contacted by The Daily Morning, NMRA Chairperson Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama said that several pharmaceutical companies had obtained an interim order against the price controls imposed by the NMRA, which had prevented some medicines from being regulated.
“This interim order was lifted about two weeks ago. We are now taking steps to impose price controls on the remaining medicines,” he said.