A total of 363 medicines were registered by the Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA) last year, according to official statistics.
MFDA oversees the registration and sale of medicines in the Maldives.
According to the numbers shared by MFDA, 594 medicines were submitted to the authority last year for registration, of which 363 were approved and 231 rejected. A total of 69 pharmacies were newly registered, including 33 in Male’ City and 36 in the atolls. Meanwhile, licenses of 20 pharmacies, 15 in Male’ and 5 in the atolls, were revoked for various reasons.
During the year, 15 companies were newly permitted to import and store drugs, while 30 permits were revoked. A total of 106 pharmacists were newly licensed to dispense medicines. The MFDA carried out 490 inspections, including routine and follow-up checks. The National Health Laboratory conducted 7,314 tests, including 4,636 microbiology and 2,678 chemistry tests.
The MFDA has warned it will take action against illegal import or sale of medicines without proper permits.