State Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies Corporation (StatePharma) has established a digital system to monitor medicine stocks across all its pharmacies nationwide in real time, Managing Director Dr Shah Mahir has said.
The corporation is currently working to put in place the arrangements needed to manage medicine supply sustainably.
StatePharma identified last year that one of the biggest obstacles to addressing the country's medicine supply problem was the lack of information on stock levels at pharmacies in Malé and the islands. As the corporation approaches its first year of operation, it has carried out significant work over the past year to address the problem.
Speaking to PSM News, Managing Director Dr Shah said StatePharma was working to establish a system that would ensure a sustainable supply of medicines required across the country.
As part of these efforts, the corporation has introduced a digital system that allows it to monitor medicine stocks at its pharmacies across the islands in real time. Managing Director Dr Shah said StatePharma was also working to make stock information available to the public within the next two months.
To ensure a sustainable and uninterrupted supply of medicines, StatePharma is assessing medicine stocks so it can place the country's annual medicine order well in advance. The corporation is also coordinating with companies and carrying out other work required to import medicines.
StatePharma has so far reached agreements with three companies to import medicines and is working to establish similar agreements with additional companies.
The corporation is also establishing the storage facilities required for medicines, setting up pharmacies in hospitals and placing orders for medicines needed across the country. StatePharma expects the current medicine supply situation to improve by the middle of next year.
The corporation has also decided to train its employees as it works to import medicines.
StatePharma said that if a medicine listed on a prescription is unavailable at a particular pharmacy, patients will be directed to another pharmacy where the medicine is available. If the medicine is currently out of stock across the Maldives, the pharmacy will make arrangements to order the prescribed medicine as quickly as possible.
StatePharma has also established the 24-hour 1505 hotline for medicine-related enquiries from anywhere in the Maldives.