News
Medicinal drugs crisis may continue for two months; SPC awaits Indian HC response
View(s):By Chrishanthi Christopher
The medicinal drug shortage in the country’s hospitals is likely to continue for the next two months, according to a senior official.
The State Pharmaceutical Corporation said it was awaiting approval from the Indian High Commission to place the orders for more than 1,000 drugs from Indian pharmaceutical companies under the Indian credit line.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe last week directed that the unused US $200 million from the Indian credit line be channelled toward medicinal drug purchases.
Pharmacy at the National Hospital. Pic by Akila Jayawardana
However, SPC Chairman Sarath Liyanage said the process was tedious and involved procedural delays that would prevent the authorities from restocking the drugs on time.
He explained the money could be used only to purchase drugs from Indian companies.
Meanwhile, hospital officials said they had stopped routine surgeries, concentrating only on emergency cases. Also, in state hospitals, doctors were handing out prescriptions to outdoor patients requesting them to buy the medicine from private pharmacies.
Health sector trade unions said the medicinal drug crisis could have been averted if the government had effectively managed the US$ 3,330 million received from the World Bank, the World Health Organisation, and the Asian Development Bank at different intervals.
However, the SPC Chairman denied that the drug shortage was as huge as what was being portrayed by the unions. He said substitute medications could be used in hospitals and the situation was manageable.
Medicines come in different brand names and could be used as alternatives, he said.
However, he acknowledged that if the orders were placed three months early, the issue could have been avoided. He faulted the SPC and the central medicines Supplies Division (MSD) for the lapse.
The MSD had failed to send the requisition on time and had been constantly changing its mind on its requirements, he said.
Another cause was hospitals’ inability to keep track of the availability of drugs in their stores. This was largely due to the malfunctioning of the network system installed by the SPC at a massive cost of Rs 645 million and a monthly maintenance fee of Rs 5 million.
In May, the SPC told the Parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) that it was installing a new app at a lower cost.
The COPE stressed the importance of maintaining a system and detecting shortages daily. It has requested the SPC, MSD, and the National Medicines Regulatory Authority to coordinate when placing orders for medicinal drugs.
Meanwhile, the All Island Private Pharmacists Association called for the streamlining of pharmaceutical drug imports by private companies to prevent the country’s foreign exchange from being wasted on a plethora of brands under one generic name.
President C.D.Gankandara said that plenty of dollars could be saved if this practice is stopped .
He said that new brands are imported by traders and doctors bribed to promote the drugs to patients during private channelling.
The result, one brand abandoned for another and unsold medicines expired with time, and is disposed often.
He called on the NMRA to maintain a record on drugs approved for imports and have a ceiling on the number of branded drugs imported under the same generic name .
Chairman Prof. S.D . Jayaratne of the NMRA said that this was not possible as importers have registered several brands but do not import them. Also certain medications are allowed to be imported during emergency situations .
However we have a limit of ten brands under one generic drug,’ he said .
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