Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA) has ordered every pharmacy in the country to stock at least 80 percernt of the essential medicines assigned to it within six months.
Keeping essential medicines available through the health system is part of the MFDA's mandate. The authority published a revised essential medicines list yesterday, along with new guidelines and a system for grading pharmacies.
Under the new system, there are two categories. Community pharmacies, which are the commercial pharmacies outside hospital grounds, must hold 185 essential medicines covering common emergencies, chronic disease, primary care and preventive health.
Facility-based pharmacies, which operate inside hospitals and health facilities, must hold everything on that list plus specialist drugs, for a total of 381 medicines. This second list covers specialist care, inpatient and outpatient services, emergency protocols, critical care and severe illness.
"Arrangements must be made in all pharmacies to ensure the availability of 80% of the drugs allocated to their respective pharmacy category," the MFDA said.
Existing pharmacies have six months from today to meet the standard. New pharmacies will only be registered once they can show full stock for their grade.
The guidelines also require pharmacies to calculate three-month sales averages, track them, and maintain a buffer stock of at least one month of essential medicines. A pharmacy that fails to comply has its operating licence suspended for 14 days.
The government recently established a state-owned company dedicated to pharmaceutical operations to address medicine shortages. Supply problems remain widespread.
