Sri Lanka’s Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Dr Rajitha Senaratne has decided to reduce the prices of another 25 essential drugs.
Accordingly, the prices of antibiotics, diabetes medicine and equipment, medicines for prostate, asthma and respiratory disorders, as well as pain killers, drugs for neurological diseases and 10 expensive cancer drugs will be reduced.
The decision to reduce the prices was taken according to National Medicinal Drugs and Devices Policy based on Prof. Senaka Bibile’s Essential Medicines Concept, the Minister said.
The Health Minister reduced the price of 48 essential drugs in 2016 providing great relief to the patients. Prices of 272 drugs from various brands were reduced. Most of the medicines are for chronic illnesses that requires long term treatment.
Annually US$ 900 million is needed to import the necessary drugs to Sri Lanka.
Although Sri Lanka has a government supported health care system, a large number of patients are receiving treatment from the private sector.
It has been revealed that the patients although prescribed certain drugs by the doctors they are not complying due to the high cost of the drugs. The use of these drugs was essential for chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure. With the reduction of the price of drugs, many patients have begun to use drugs prescribed by doctors.
Since the prices of high quality drugs with reputable brands are controlled, the sales of such drugs have increased by 600 percent according to the Health Ministry.
According to the National Medicines Regulatory Authority, the reduction of the price of 48 essential pharmaceutical products in October 2016 has saved the people Rs. 4.4 billion.
