Drug Act to be implemented soon

by Carol Aloysius

"The Health Ministry will implement the National Medical Drugs and Cosmetics Devices Regulatory Act which Parliament has now approved, as soon as possible ", Director General Health Services, Dr P.G. Mahipala told the Sunday Observer.

" We are now developing the mechanism to implement it and moving forward with the working out of details relating to the number of imported drugs we actually require in today's context, their cost benefits and how we can pass them on to the public.

The public can rest assured that once it is implemented fully and a fully equipped quality assurance lab had been set up, they will have access to safe, quality and affordable drugs in the near future", he said.

"We will do everything in a transparent manner. We are also looking at ways to increase local manufacture of drugs already being produced here", he added.

Under the new Act the National Medicinal Drugs Regulatory Authority which is based on the late Professor Seneka Bibile's recommendations, functions as the central regulator for all matters relating to registration, licensing, manufacture , importation of all medicines and medical devices.