- Minister yet to respond to meeting request from pharmacy owners
- Shortage of qualified pharmacists due to brain drain
- Mandatory for all pharmacies to employ qualified pharmacists
Pharmacies around the country are facing a serious risk of closure due to the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) making the full-time presence of a qualified pharmacist mandatory for the operation of pharmacies.
However, the All-Island Private Pharmacy Owners’ Association (AIPPOA) claims that the Health Ministry is yet to respond to its numerous attempts to contact the Minister to discuss this serious matter over the past few months.
“This situation will only worsen from 1 January,” AIPPOA President Chandika Gankanda stated.
“We have been requesting a meeting to discuss this situation with several relevant institutions, but we have yet to receive a response.”
Stressing on the gravity of the situation and its negative impact on the country, Gankanda highlighted the struggles faced by the general public, especially patients in rural areas, due to the decline in operating pharmacies.
“The closing down of pharmacies in village areas hinders the health of these areas, as people are forced to travel to places such as Colombo to receive medication,” he said. “These issues will continue to worsen if no action is taken.”
Gankanda emphasised that their request was not to dismantle the registration system but to address the shortage of qualified pharmacists.
Out of the 5,100 pharmacies currently in operation across the country, many are facing closure due to the shortage of qualified pharmacists. Sri Lanka is experiencing a brain drain, where qualified professionals emigrate in search of better opportunities.
According to Gankanda, the number of pharmacists in the country is declining as qualified individuals leave.
As of November, re-registration by the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) revealed that only 6,700 pharmacists were currently active across the island.
In accordance with the NMRA Act, “the dispensing of medicines, medical devices, or borderline products shall be carried out by a pharmacist or a registered apprentice pharmacist under the direct supervision of a pharmacist”.
Gankanda stated that while the NMRA’s expectation of employing qualified pharmacists was fair, it was not feasible under the current circumstances.
The SLMC’s application for pharmacists states that a certificate of proficiency/efficiency as a pharmacist, issued by the Ceylon Medical College Council, is required.
However, only 5% of candidates pass the Government examination for pharmacists.
When contacted by The Sunday Morning, Ministry of Health Secretary Dr. Anil Jasinghe stressed that pharmacy owners should first discuss the matter with the NMRA.
However, according to a coordinator to Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, the Minister is planning to meet with pharmacy owners in the first week of January. Yet, the pharmacy owners have not been notified of this meeting.
When The Sunday Morning asked Dr. Jasinghe about the meeting, he said that he was unaware of it.
Meanwhile, NMRA Chairman Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama clarified that the NMRA was not responsible for training pharmacists.
He raised concerns about the growing number of applications for opening new pharmacies, questioning whether pharmacies should be registered without qualified pharmacists.
Dr. Wijewickrama suggested that, in some cases, pharmacists were not working in pharmacies due to inadequate pay, which may explain the frequent applications to establish new pharmacies.
He also emphasised the importance of ensuring that pharmacies were staffed with qualified professionals to maintain standards and ensure public safety.
Minister to meet with companies in Jan.
Minister of Health and Mass Media Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa is set to meet representatives of pharmaceutical companies in the first week of January 2025.
The meeting aims to address pressing issues within the pharmaceutical sector, including pricing regulations and the availability of essential medicines.
This development follows the introduction of price controls on 60 medicinal drugs through Gazette No.2336/53, issued under Section 142 of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) Act No.5 of 2015.
The regulations, which took effect on 26 June 2023, established Maximum Retail Prices (MRPs) ranging from Rs. 2.18 per unit for ibuprofen 200 mg tablets to Rs. 2,270.02 per unit for insulin soluble human injection (100 IU/1ml, 10 ml vial).
The upcoming meeting is expected to serve as a platform for stakeholders to discuss the implications of these price caps and explore solutions to challenges faced by the pharmaceutical industry and healthcare providers.
However, when contacted by The Sunday Morning, Sri Lanka Chamber of the Pharmaceutical Industry (SLCPI) Senior Manager – Administration Maureen Candappa said that the organisation had not received formal notification about the meeting yet.
Meanwhile, the NMRA is consulting the Attorney General to resolve legal challenges hindering its efforts to regulate medicine prices in Sri Lanka.
A court injunction, prompted by legal action from medicine importers and manufacturers, has blocked the NMRA’s attempts to enforce price caps, citing inadequate consultation during the regulatory process.
– By Kenolee Perera