Medical specialists raise red flag over new drug purchase rules

Colombo, July 21 (Daily Mirror) - Medical specialists have expressed serious concerns regarding the circular issued by the Ministry of Health outlining guidelines for the purchase of drugs, surgical items, by state hospitals from third parties.

The issuance of the new circular follows the multiple requests made by the medical specialists in light of recent allegations against senior neurosurgeon at the Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital Dr. Maheshi Wijeratne, who was accused of selling medical equipment worth Rs. 50,000 to patients for Rs. 175,000 through a private company.

While the circular aims to ensure uninterrupted medical supplies and acknowledges the right of patients to purchase unavailable items at their own cost especially high-value ones such as surgical staplers and meshes, specialists warn that several practical and ethical challenges remain unaddressed.

One of the key issues raised is the need for hospitals to provide written, daily updates on unavailable medications and consumables to each clinical unit. Without this information, consultants say they cannot ensure compliance with the circular’s requirement to verify unavailability before asking patients to make external purchases.

Terms such as “best interest” and “highest ethical standards” have also drawn concern, as they remain vague and open to interpretation. Clinicians are calling for clearer definitions to prevent inconsistencies in practice.

Doctors further highlight logistical burdens, especially in busy clinical settings, where commonly used items like antibiotics and enemas may run out frequently.

Requiring written declarations for every item could significantly strain staff and delay patient care. As a solution, some propose introducing a monetary threshold—such as requiring written consent only for items exceeding Rs. 2,500.

Concerns were also raised regarding the availability of the necessary declaration forms in clinics and wards, as well as the round-the-clock presence of an authorized officer and pharmacist to process approvals. In addition, specialists noted that only generic drug names are listed, without clarity on National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) certification, raising questions about product quality and patient safety.

Furthermore, medical officers cannot direct patients to specific pharmacies even when rare drugs are only available at select locations, posing another hurdle in timely treatment.

The circular’s silence on laboratory medicine has also been criticized.

Specialists say they will continue to work with whatever reagents are available, but that responsibility for arranging unavailable tests now falls squarely on hospital directors.

In response, a senior medical official told Daily Mirror that the ministry is open for discussions.