• Substitutes available for unavailable medications

Despite the record of over 50% reduction in medicine supplies to Sri Lanka, the Medical Supplies Division (MSD) of the Ministry of Health claims that there are no shortages of pharmaceuticals in the country and that any unavailable medications have relevant substitutes.

According to MSD Director Dr. Dedunu Dias, there has never been a shortage of essential medicines in hospitals. 

He said that the MSD had held multiple discussions to ensure a steady supply of pharmaceuticals and continued to deliver necessary medicines without interruption.

“The process of supplying medicinal drugs is complex,” Dr. Dias explained. 

“There are several critical requirements, such as ensuring the correct medicine is distributed to the correct patient in the proper dosage. Quality assurance is essential in this process.”

He said that the regulatory procedures for ensuring high-quality medicines were strictly followed and substitutes for unavailable pharmaceuticals were always provided.

Dr. Dias added that when certain medicines were in short supply, the MSD had assisted hospitals in privately purchasing the necessary medicines and that programmes were being implemented to address and resolve any issues within the MSD’s procurement system.

He also assured that there was no shortage of life-saving medications and reiterated that the MSD was working diligently to ensure all essential medicines remained available.

As of 3 December, over 5,000 medicinal drugs and their variations were registered in the National Medicines Regulatory Authority’s (NMRA) system.

However, as reported previously, Sri Lanka has faced a decline in the supply of medicines, with shipments dropping from 2,000 consignments last year to just 750 this year. This marks a sharp 62.5% reduction in the country’s receipt of medicines.