Implement National Drug Policy, says PMRP

by Lalin FERNANDOPULLE

The People's Movement for the Rights of Patients (PMRP) has called upon the government to speed up the implementation of the National Drug Policy (NDP) that would save billions of rupees to the country.

The National Drug Policy based on Prof. Senaka Bibile's essential drug concept ensures access to quality, safe and efficacious medicinal drugs at an affordable price. The policy calls for the regulation of imports and the rational use of drugs.

Founder Member of the PMRP, Dr. Joel Fernando said that approximately 9000 medicinal drugs are registered in the country while the World Health Organisation has listed only 352 drugs as essential medicines.

"Health officials should engage in a constructive dialogue with drug importers on how to make pricing a criteria for the regulation of drug imports" he said.

Dr. Fernando said a large number of drugs under various brand names flood the market at exorbitant prices making it unaffordable to patients. Multinational pharmaceutical companies thrive on the ignorance of patients.

He said that many patients are not aware that the efficacy of generic and branded drugs is same and added that patients pay more for expensive branded drugs. Patients have the right to ask the doctor to prescribe generic drugs.

Dr. Fernando said paracetamol, amoxicilline and many other essential generic drugs have been substituted by various branded drugs at exorbitant prices.

"The implementation of the drug policy is a crying need of the country which loses a colossal sum of money annually on the import of medicinal drugs", he said.

The need for a National Drug Policy has been recognised in the Mahinda Chintana which has pledged to reactivate Prof. Bibile's rational drug concept.The PMRP has been lobbying for the speedy implementation of the policy for the benefit of patients to no avail.

Subsequent governments and health ministers had pledged to implement the policy but it is yet to see the light of day.

According to the PMRP the Minister of Health Maithripala Sirisena had pledged to enact the draft legislation mid this year with certain amendments.

Dr. Fernando said that so far there had not been any discussions with stakeholders on the draft amendments.

Essential medicines are those that satisfy the priority health care needs of the population and are selected with due regard to disease prevalence, evidence on efficacy and safety and comparative cost-effectiveness.

"The implementation of the drug policy will ensure that there is adequate drugs in state owned hospitals which is presently facing a severe shortage of medicines", Dr. Fernando said.