Sri Lankans consume medicines at significantly above-normal levels, with the health sector currently procuring pharmaceuticals under 863 generic categories—two-thirds of which are imported, while the rest are locally produced, according to Deputy Health Minister Dr. Hansaka Wijemuni.
Dr. Wijemuni told the media that the Health Ministry is working on developing therapeutic guidelines for medical professionals to follow when prescribing medication. He said such guidelines could potentially cut the number of drug categories in use to between 450 and 500, leading to substantial cost savings.
“The government allocates Rs. 185 billion annually for pharmaceutical purchases, yet our medicine consumption is unusually high compared to other countries. For example, the UK uses fewer pharmaceutical categories,” he noted.
He also stated that different medical specialists in Sri Lanka have requested an additional 83 generic drugs, which further increases the complexity and volume of pharmaceutical procurement.
Dr. Wijemuni emphasized that standardized prescription guidelines are essential, as current practices vary widely between doctors, leading to inconsistencies in treatment and excessive use of pills and capsules.
Commenting on the ongoing drug shortages, he cited procedural delays in placing orders and obtaining requirement reports from hospitals, as well as last year’s failure to place timely orders due to financial constraints caused by the economic crisis.
“For the next year, we’ve already placed orders for around 300 generic categories. This wasn’t done properly last year, which is why we are facing shortages now,” he explained.
He added that some importers selected by the State Pharmaceutical Corporation (SPC) have also delayed deliveries, worsening the supply issues.
To address these challenges, Cabinet approval has now been granted to purchase pharmaceuticals in advance to create a future buffer stock.
