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No major decisions taken over SLMA charges against NMRA
View(s):No major decisions had been taken at a meeting summoned by the Presidential Secretariat on Friday afternoon to resolve several charges by the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) against the drug watchdog, the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA), the Sunday Times understands.
A proposal to appoint a committee comprising members of the Health Ministry, the SLMA and the NMRA to sort out issues at the drug authority had been received positively.
The meeting followed a strong letter sent by the SLMA to President Ranil Wickremesinghe the previous week. The Sunday Times reported the allegations in the SLMA letter and also the response from the NMRA on July 3.
Friday’s meeting was chaired by the President’s Secretary, with an Advisor and a Treasury representative participating, as well as the Health Ministry Secretary and Director-General. The SLMA attendees were: its President Dr Vinya Ariyaratne, President-elect Dr Ananda Wijewickrama, Secretary Dr Sajith Edirisinghe and former head of the NMRA’s Pricing Committee Dr Palitha Abeykoon. The NMRA attendees were: its Chairperson Prof S D Jayaratne and CEO Dr Vijith Gunasekara.
An important issue discussed was the alleged blatant use of Waivers of Registration (WOR) by the NMRA on the excuse of emergency purchases. The latest, it is learnt, are moves to import stocks of insulin under a WOR from unregistered sources, bringing to the fore issues of quality and alleged corruption.
Meanwhile on Friday,a representative of the Society of Government Pharmacists sent an explanation responding to NMRA Head Prof S D Jayaratne’s reasons as to why 23 pharmacists working at the NMRA were transferred back to the Health Ministry.
Claiming that “false allegations” had been made by the NMRA management, the statement gave in detail these pharmacists’ side of the story.
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