Dire shortage of anti-cancer drugs in hospitals: Govt. Pharmacists’ Society

There is a massive shortage of drugs which are used to treat cancer in hospitals and in other health institutions, the Government Pharmacists' Society Chairman Ajith P. Thilakaratne said.

Addressing the media he said due to the shortage, a large number of patients at cancer units are in dilemma.

Therefore, there is a tendency of those cancer treatment units are being closed. 

"So far, around 15 medicines are unavailable in government hospitals, and therefore patients have to spend more money to buy them from private pharmacies, which are expensive," he said.

Due to the increase in the prices of medicine by the government and the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) occasionally, the price of medicine has been increased by nearly 300%. Accordingly, the price of medicine, such as the price of a single vial that is used for cancer patients, has increased by up to Rs.300,000.

Moreover, he said that there is no exact date for replenishing the medicine varieties by the health sector or to the NMRA. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)