COLOMBO – Sri Lanka is likely to raise prices of medicinal drugs between 6% and 7% on June 30, Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said, citing rising import and production costs.
The island nation can revise the prices when there is more than 5% change in the exchange rate and the last price change, which was a 16% drop, was in 2023.
“The price revision will be considered on June 30. There could be a 6-7% price hike, but this has not been approved yet,” Minister Jayatissa said.
Industry stakeholders fear Sri Lanka will face a medicine shortage because the regulator, the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA), has failed to allow price revisions.
The Sri Lanka rupee has tumbled with the Central Bank’s indicative exchange rate falling around 8% in the last six months.
Sri Lanka, which is heavily dependent on medicine imports, brought down US$ 667 million worth of drugs last year, accounting for approximately 85% of the total medicinal drug market.
The NMRA guidelines state that if the exchange rate fluctuates by more than 5% (rise or fall), the Authority may review and revise the maximum retail prices (MRPs) of drugs.
Though there is a price formula in place, the exchange rate is the main component of that, stakeholders say.
-economynext.com
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.