Sri Lanka’s drug regulatory framework faces serious allegations of total collapse as healthcare workers warn that delayed approvals and chronic medicine shortages are endangering patient lives.
Chairman of the Medical and Civil Rights Doctors' Union Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa raised grave concerns over the prolonged two year delay in registering the Qdenga dengue vaccine, urging a formal investigation into possible negligence at the National Medicines Regulatory Authority.
Severe shortages continue to cripple the healthcare sector, with over forty essential pharmaceuticals including crucial oncology drugs Oxaliplatin and Filgrastim remaining unavailable for extended periods.
The union pointed out that while life saving treatments remain stuck in bureaucratic delays, advanced diabetes and weight loss medications like Mounjaro are circulating freely on the black market without cold chain guarantees.
Flawed price regulation policies have reportedly driven reputable global pharmaceutical brands away from the local market, allowing inferior quality alternatives to fill the void.
These rigid pricing structures have also affected private medical laboratories, forcing facilities to rely on lower grade reagents that risk producing faulty diagnostic reports.
The union urged health authorities to implement an online tracking mechanism for drug approvals, introduce WHO standard testing for imports, and establish a flexible pricing formula reflecting global economic realities.
Neither the Ministry of Health nor the National Medicines Regulatory Authority has issued a formal response to the claims.
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