Managing Director of StatePharma Dr. Shah Mahir has stated that government control in the import of medication is important, and that the issue can be solved by working together with the private sector.

While giving Mihaaru News an interview last Thursday, he said that pharmaceutical control is important in a landscape where Maldivians are provided medication through the Aasandha system.

Most of the medication needed for Maldives is imported by STO and private companies. However, no party has a majority in the import of medication.

The Managing Director of StatePharma, a company that was established in September 2025, said that important work can be done with private companies to solve the issue surrounding pharmaceuticals.

"When it is known as to which medication is not available and available in the private sector, there is no point in the government importing the medication that is already available in the private sector. This can be done on a commercial basis with everyone in the market," said Shah.

"Our aim is to streamline this process by cooperating with everyone and to ensure constant availability of medication required for Maldives."

According to Shah, importing all of the medication produced around the globe is not feasible for a small country like Maldives.

"Wastage will also be quite high. Even so, we are preparing a system where citizens are given the medication they may require as fast as possible," said Shah.

Shah went on to say that there is no reason why medicine cannot be brought to Maldives if it is made across the world. However, he did highlight that there are obstacles regarding the matter.

StatePharma is currently fully operational and has begun importing medication. Shah said that they are prioritizing measures surrounding medicine currently unavailable in the Maldivian market.

Some of the obstacles Shah highlighted include the low amount of medicine required for Maldives, issues in the distribution chain and not knowing the stock of medication available in the country.

And so, StatePharma is attempting to establish a system where the medication available in Maldives can be viewed.