Passing of National Medicines Regulatory Authority bill postponed till Friday

The passing of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority Bill was postponed till Friday after a day long debate in Parliament yesterday after JVP legislators sought more time to move amendments to the Bill.

The Bill was presented to the Parliament yesterday morning by President Maithripala Sirisena who during his tenure as Heath Minister made several attempts to get the legislation approved by the House but failed.

The President said that the Bill would fulfill decades long need to make good quality medicines available to the public at reasonable prices and break the hold a few pharmaceutical companies that control the medicines trade at present.

The Bill provides for the setting up of the Authority which shall be responsible for the regulation and control of, Registration, Licensing, Manufacture, Importation and all other aspects pertaining to medicines, medical devices, borderline products and for the conducting of clinical trials in a manner compatible with the National Medicines Policy; to provide for the establishment of divisions of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority including the Medicines Regulatory Division, Medical Devices Regulatory Division, Borderline Products Regulatory Division and Clinical Trials Regulatory Division; to establish a National Advisory Body; to repeal the Cosmetics, Devices and Drugs Act, No.27 of 1980.