December 25, Colombo (LNW): A high-level discussion convened under the guidance of Health and Mass Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa has explored ways to expand and improve the monitoring of drug quality across the country. The meeting focused on developing more structured and systematic approaches to ensure medicines meet safety and efficacy standards.
Officials present included the Director General of Health Services, the Chairperson of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA), representatives from the Ministry of Health, and delegates from the Ministry of Science and Technology. Participants highlighted the need for closer coordination between institutions involved in laboratory testing, increasing the scale of quality assessments, and addressing critical concerns identified in NMRA reports.
Minister Jayatissa noted that relying solely on the NMRA laboratory for drug testing has limitations, underlining the importance of creating a broader, more formal programme to enhance quality control in the longer term. He also suggested that, in the interim, other government facilities could be involved in testing to avoid delays and ensure continuous monitoring.
The Minister further stressed that the programme should prioritise medicines with known issues to prevent interruptions in supply and maintain public confidence in pharmaceutical products.
