Controlled prices have been established for a wide range of medicines, with the relevant gazette notification set to be issued soon, Cabinet Spokesperson and Minister of Health Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa announced today.
Speaking at the weekly Cabinet media briefing on November 18, Minister Jayatissa revealed that the gazette will impose controlled prices on 350 types of medicines. He warned that legal action will be taken against those who fail to comply with the regulations.
New Pricing Formula to Cover Future Registrations
The Minister emphasized that the new regulation will apply to both currently registered medicines and those to be registered in the future. Once the National Medicines Regulatory Authority enforces the gazette, the pricing formula will automatically apply to all medicines registered going forward.
“Within the next few months, almost all medicines used in Sri Lanka will be registered under the new pricing formula,” Minister Jayatissa stated.
Public Awareness and Legal Enforcement
“After issuing the gazette, we expect to inform the public of these prices, and we also expect to enforce the law against anyone who does not comply with these price regulations,” the Minister added.
Further Categories to Follow
The National Medicines Regulatory Authority has indicated that controlled prices will be introduced for several additional categories of medicines in the future.
Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama, Chairman of the Authority and Specialist physician, confirmed that controlled prices have already been established for 350 types of medicines, with more categories expected to be added to the regulatory framework.
