Medical professionals have raised concerns over opportunistic pricing methods adopted by private pharmacies.
They allege that private pharmacies are exploiting the country’s ongoing medicine shortage by charging excessive prices for non-regulated drugs.
Speaking at a press conference, Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa, President of the Medical and Civil Rights Professional Association (MCPA), said the Health Ministry’s assurances from Colombo do not reflect the harsh realities faced by patients at ground level.
“Regardless of the Health Ministry’s claims, patients are often forced to buy essential medicines from outside, and at inflated prices,” Dr. Sanjeewa said.
He attributed this to the absence of effective price controls on many pharmaceuticals, adding that the cost of medicines in private pharmacies had risen to “unbearable levels.”
According to Dr. Sanjeewa, this reflects both an erosion of regulatory oversight and the authorities’ failure to ensure the adequate supply of basic medicines and medical equipment.
He also warned that the situation is pushing the health system towards a reliance on emergency procurement measures, which he claims could have been avoided with proper forecasting and planning.
Commenting on the procurement process, he noted the increasing use of Cabinet papers to approve medicine purchases and urged the government to follow due process as laid out under existing regulations covering the supply, regulation, distribution, and quality control of medicines.
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