Will the Public Receive Immediate Benefits of Drugs Price Reduction?

With the good intention the Government  and the Minister of Health Rajitha Senarathna  worked hard  to implement  price reduction  of  essential drugs.

The  price reduction  of 48 medical drugs will  come in to effect  as from Monday,24^th  October 2016.

Although  , Manager of the State Pharmaceutical Cooperation, said that the 48 medicines will be available for purchase at the reduced price at all pharmacies countrywide, there is no mechanism in place to check errant pharmacists selling drugs at higher prices.

He added that all medical drugs will be issued to the market at proper standards after the drugs have passed through laboratory examination.

Meanwhile, a communique issued by the Health Ministry notes that the Minister of Health has advised the Secretary of the Ministry to commence investigations into whether the benefits of the reduction in prices of medicine have been passed on to the general public.

The communique notes that raids will be conducted on pharmacies that sell these medical drugs at rates higher than the stipulated price.