Aasandha has said today that the bulk purchasing of European quality medication will lead to MVR 300 million being saved annually from the total expense on medicine.
Aasandha has said today that the bulk purchasing of European quality medication will lead to MVR 300 million being saved annually from the total expense on medicine.
An agreement was entered into with UNDP for the bulk procurement of high quality medicine, with STO having brought in the first shipment yesterday.
Manager of Aasandha Medical Investigation Section Mariyam Fayaza told Mihaaru News today that with the seven A grade medications in this shipment, related other medications, and the additional three medications that will be brought in in October, a saving will be made between one and two million rufiya.
Even with the seven medications alone, approximately MVR 10 million will be saved within a year, she said.
The medications currently brought in by STO include those administered for mental health issues and antibiotics. Although they are referred to as European quality medication, India is also amongst the countries from which medication was brought in this shipment.
However, Fayaza assured that even though the medication has been brought from India, the medication are brought straight from the manufacturer and are produced at the quality standards accepted in Europe. Some medication have been brought from Greece and UK as well, she said.
European quality medication are manufactured in Bangladesh, Pakistan and India as well.
Although Aasandha has determined prices they will cover for prescription medicines, they, too, base these prices on the market rate. As pharmacies in the Maldives are run by private companies, Aasandha has to spend high amounts on medication.
Pharmacies claim that prices of good quality medicine is high due to being unable to buy them straight from manufacturers.
Pharmaceutical companies also refuse to sell medication separately to Maldives due to the small population of the country. This issue is addressed through pool procurement. Under this system, medicine is bought through collaborating with other countries. Then, based on statistics at Aasandha, the amount of medication needed in the Maldives can be brought here. Even now, it has proven impossible to import the amount of medication actually needed in the Maldives, which will be resolved through bulk procurement.
"We are getting high quality, expensive medication, but at a lower price. Cost-wise the rate decreases, but we get high quality, expensive medication. Through this process, the price decreases," Fayaza explained.
She said that the government aims to bring all fundamental medication included in the medicine list through STO at Europe quality. This list includes 400 medications at present, and all this is procured under this system, it is estimated that MVR 300 million can be saved.
"In different phases, other medication also will be brought. At first, we are rolling out seven medications. There's three more due to come. A total of 10 medications will be rolled out within this year. Work is ongoing to place orders for other medication as well. This is a continuous process. Every year, we may not be able to save MVR 300 million, but the target is to make a big saving," Fayaza said.
Once STO starts bringing in European quality medication, private pharmacies will also need to buy the medication from STO. She said that the retail price is set inclusive of a small profit.
In this stage, prices have been set for the medication. Prices may change based on brand, Fayaza said, and additional charges beyond what is covered by Aasandha must be paid by customers themselves. Private pharmacies are also not allowed to hike the prices of these medications, and it must be billed to Aasandha at the prices they have set.
Medicine imported into Maldives even at present are those on MFDA's Approved Drug List, in the same packing. As per the list, over 1600 types of medication are currently approved to be brought into the country.
As per MFDA regulations, all information must be completed if a medicine is to be imported into the country. However, with Maldives having a small population, oftentimes these documents cannot be received as manufacturers lack interest in this market.
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