Will the Drug Regulatory Commission & the health minister clash?

Apr 18, 2016

Health minister Rajitha Senaratne recently gave a lecture for more than half an hour to the chairman and the deputy chairman of the Drug Regulatory Commission over the steep increase in the prices of pharmaceutical drugs.

The minister accused chairman Prof. Jayantha Jayasuriya and deputy chairman Prof. Krishantha Weerasuriya of being responsible for the rising prices of drugs.

Persons linked to the health sector told us that the main reason for the increases is the depreciation of the rupee against the US dollar.

Also, the computation formula for imported goods with regard to pharmaceutical drugs is at a high level. As a result, the public has to buy a drug at 180 per cent of its actual price, say informed sources in the health sector.

Some time ago, the health minister demanded the chairman and the deputy chairman of the Drug Regulatory Commission to resign, and they consented. At the time, the media reported the drug mafia, which was getting drugs at experimental level registered, was behind their resignations. However, the president mediated and reinstated the two officials.