Medical drugs to be imported on govt to govt basis

by Carol Aloysius

The Health Ministry will import medical drugs directly after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the governments concerned.

"This will overcome the problem of sub quality imported drugs, and ensure that patients have a continuous supply of drugs", health officials told the Sunday Observer.

Health Ministry officials are now holding talks to import drugs from Bangladesh. Thailand is also considered a second possibility in the near future.

"If all goes well, the Ministry will sign an MoU with the Bangladesh government to import drugs" Medical Drug Supplies Director Dr Kamal Jayasinghe said.

Asked what type of drugs would be imported from Bangladesh, he said it would depend on the kind of drugs manufactured there. "They will be essential drugs", he said.

He said there was no shortage of drugs including cancer drugs, and no hospital had yet reported any severe shortages.

"If they had we would have taken immediate steps to release the drugs from our stores," adding that there were 26,000 varieties of registered drugs in the island.

"My task is to call for estimates from the state sector and order the drugs through the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation, while ensuring their quality, safety and efficacy", he said.

Cosmetics Devices and Drugs Regulatory Authority (CDDA) sources said ,"Our maxim is Good Manufacturing Practices(GMP).

If drugs imported from a regular supplier are found to be below our standards, a team of GMP drug inspectors will be sent to the manufacturing plant and bring back samples to be tested in our laboratory.

Till then we will keep those drugs on hold and withdraw them from the market," a spokesman said.

Sub quality drug imports from at least five Indian companies have been temporarily withdrawn, the spokesman said.