National Drug Policy to be implemented in early 2014

by Carol Aloysius

Health sources told the Sunday Observer yesterday that the long- awaited National Medicinal Drug Policy (NMDP) will be implemented in early 2014.

“The final translation of the draft is underway and it will be ready to be presented in Parliament when it is completed. There will be no further delays”, Health Ministry spokesman W.A.D Wanninayake told the Sunday Observer. ‘The Minister is keen that quality drugs at affordable prices are made available to the public ’, he said.

The People’s Movement for the Rights of Patients (PMRP) meanwhile told the Sunday Observer that while welcoming the Health Minister’s assurance that the long overdue NMDP would be implemented early next year, “we’re keeping our fingers crossed till we see it presented in Parliament”.

They said that while the Minister was sincere in his endeavour to see the legislation passed and implemented, vested interests were blocking his path.

We sincerely hope that he will act in the interest of the people and make the National Medicinal Drug Policy a reality, so that quality drugs will be available at affordable prices”, they said. Around 13,000 medicinal drugs have been registered for import. According to studies and research by pharmacologists and the PMRP, about a 1,000 varieties of essential drugs are adequate to meet the needs of patients based on Professor Senaka Bibile’s guidelines.

“If the NMDP is implemented effectively and speedily, we could save millions of rupees of foreign exchange now being wasted on non-essential drugs. We should not let multinational drug companies block legislation regarding the drugs policy any longer, to meet their agenda,” PMRP sources said.