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| Sunday, 1 January 2006 |
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Cheaper medical drugs soon by Ananda Kannangara In an attempt to safeguard patients from multinational pharmaceutical companies who are selling drugs at exorbitant prices, the Healthcare and Nutritional Ministry has now taken a firm decision to implement the much needed National Drugs Policy (NDP). It is said that under a National Drugs Policy, formulated by a committee comprising professionals, specialised in the field of drugs and pharmaceuticals, patients will get an apportioned to buy drugs at nominal prices. In an interview with the Sunday Observer, Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripla de Silva said that the objective of introducing such a valuable policy is to help patients to buy quality and safe drugs at a reasonable price."It is pathetic that non focusing attention on such a policy on drugs in our country so far has resulted the innocent patients purchasing drugs at unaffordable prices from the private sector," he said. It is reported that steps were also taken to introduce such a national policy on drugs and pharmaceutical in the years 1992 and 2000. But the proposals were not implemented due to various reasons. The Minister also said that such a national policy on drugs could help the public to obtain correct information on each and every drug available in the market and also its actual prices. No one could sell them beyond the actual prices. "Under such a national policy, the general public will be able to get protection from large scale drug manufacturers who are in the habit of selling drugs at unaffordable prices," he said. Meanwhile Minister de Silva last week directed his senior officials to complete the preparation of a draft legislation on an Independent Drugs Authority (IDA) during the first week of this month in order to carry forward the implementation of the proposed National Drugs Policy. Minister de Silva also welcomed countrywide medical professionals and the general public to send their views on this proposed NDP Act. |
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