Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA) has stated pharmacies that do not have essential medicine will be penalised.
MFDA made the statement in a press release following complaints from the public of some pharmacies not having basic and essential medicine, resulting in obstructions in receiving health care services. The authority advised all pharmacies to ensure they are providing essential medicine without delay.It stated pharmacies that cannot dispense essential medicine will be penalised under the Maldives Drug Act and the Public Health Protection Act.
Furthermore, MFDA stated pharmacies are responsible for making all items in the list of essential medicine available to customers easily and without delay. The authority stated all registered pharmacies are responsible for keeping stock of all essential medicine as well as prescription-only medicine and over-the-counter medicine in the list of approved drugs. In this regard, MFDA called on all registered pharmacies to submit reports on their stock of essential medicine every three months.
Furthermore, the government has announced its decision to set the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) for medicine available at pharmacies that are not on the essential medicine list. The government stated it will implement the MRP in January next year to reduce the cost of medical expenditure of patients and to maintain the expenditure for the national health insurance scheme, Aasandha.