Shocking claim made regarding drug imports by NMRA

The importation of certain drugs are sometimes approved by the Director Board of the National Medicine Regulatory Authority (NMRA), even in the absence of such approval from the relevant expert committee, according to Senior Consultant Physician Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama.

Speaking during Ada Derana’s ‘Big Focus’ programme with regards to the importation of drugs, Dr. Wijewickrama made a shocking claim that certain unregistered drugs are also being imported to the country.

When inquired as to who made these decisions, Dr. Wijewickrama stated that the said decisions are made by the Board of Directors of the NMRA, albeit in the absence of the approval of the expert committee, whose purpose is to grant the said ‘emergency’ approval of certain drugs.

“They import drugs that are being rejected by the expert committee. The chairman of the Board of Directors claims that approval for these drugs needs to be given if the Health Ministry has made the decision”, he stated in this regard.