Drug price controls cover only 700 brands, patients struggle

Of nearly 17,500 varieties of medicines sold under different brand names by private pharmacies, only about 700 are subject to price control, a medical professionals’ federation has revealed.

Federation of Medical and Civil Rights Professionals President, Specialist Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa, said patients dependent on long-term medication are facing severe hardship as drug costs continue to spiral out of reach.

He noted that while the Health Ministry had recently gazetted price controls for around 60 categories of drugs, only about 700 brands actually fell under regulation. Meanwhile, some 17,000 other branded drugs remain outside price control and are freely sold across both state and private pharmacies.

Dr. Sanjeewa said this has led to a sharp rise in the monthly expenditure of patients on essential medication.

Although a pricing formula was introduced to regulate drug prices, he charged that confusion over its implementation has left authorities unable to establish a clear policy.