President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said that orders for essential medicinal drugs should be placed by taking into account their date of expiry, while stressing the need for maintaining buffer stocks to prevent a drug shortage.
He held a meeting with the Chairmen of the two State pharmaceutical bodies at the Presidential Secretariat last week to review the production, import and distribution of pharmaceutical supplies.
Replying to a query by the President as to how the medicines supply in the country is structured, Chairman of State Pharmaceutical Corporation, Consultant Neurosurgeon Prasanna Gunasena said the supply is done in three ways. They are production by the State sector, production by the private sector and imports by both sectors.
“There are 750 varieties of medicines in use in the country and sometimes a scarcity could occur due to delays in procurement process in respect of imports,” the Chairman said.
Directing that no room should be left for shortages in the supply of medicines in the country, the President pointed out the necessity of deciding the medicinal requirement of the coming year by studying the demand pattern of the previous year.
The production and supply of the pharmaceutical items should be streamlined for the benefit of the people disregarding the interests of handful of intermediaries. Formulating a simple import and supply mechanism of medicines is a priority. All the medicines should be of highest standards, said the President while asking officials not to give any chance to produce or import substandard medicines.
Chairman of the State Pharmaceuticals Manufacturing Corporation Dr. Uthpala Indrawansha said that his organisation produces 80 medicines required by hospitals in the country. Plans are under way to domestically produce Saline and several other items. This will save the country Rs. 1300 million annually, Dr. Indrawansha said.
The possibility of investing money of the Employees Trust Fund and the Samurdhi Movement in the production of medicine was also explored. If such a mechanism could be put in place, these two Funds will have a permanent source of income, President said.
Secretary to the President P. B. Jayasundera, Secretary to the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services Major General Sanjeewa Munasinghe and representatives of the Treasury were also present.