State Pharma Corporation launches 1505 hotline and digital portal to streamline public access to medicines

The State Pharmaceutical and Medical Supply Corporation Limited (SPHMC) has launched a new hotline and digital portal to make it easier for the public to access essential medicines.

In a statement, the company said it has introduced a 24-hour hotline, 1505, through which the public can request assistance if they face difficulties obtaining required medicines. The hotline will also be used to place and track medicine orders.

SPHMC has additionally rolled out a digital portal accessible through eFaas, designed to integrate with the NSPA system. According to the company, the portal will help speed up the processing of requests submitted through both the existing system and the new platform.

The corporation said these efforts aim to ensure that medicines are provided to the public in a convenient, transparent, and reliable manner.

SPHMC was established on 9 September last year, and began importing medicines six months after its formation.

At present, STO, a 100 percent state-owned company, continues to import and sell medical drugs, consumables, and equipment in bulk. STO pharmacies operate across all inhabited islands, and the process of transferring these pharmacies under SPHMC has already begun this year.

It is also noteworthy that on 22 July 2024, the government announced it would begin selling medicines approved by European health authorities for the first time, as part of efforts to improve access to high-quality pharmaceuticals. At the time, the government said it had started procuring bulk medicines through a quality‑based pooled procurement mechanism in collaboration with UNDP.