Deputy Minister of Health and Media, Dr. Hansaka Wijemuni, announced that medicine prices have been significantly reduced by fostering competition among pharmaceutical suppliers.
Dr. Wijemuni revealed that in the past, certain medicines were supplied exclusively by a single registered supplier, creating a monopoly that forced the government to purchase these medicines at inflated prices.
To address this issue, the process of registering new suppliers for medicines previously monopolized by one provider was expedited. The Deputy Minister stated that approximately 2,800 pharmaceutical suppliers who had submitted registration applications underwent swift documentation reviews.
He added that all qualified suppliers are expected to be fully registered by March this year, further increasing competition and ensuring affordable medicine prices for the public.
