Dr Shah Mahir says real-time pharmacy stock data will be made public within two months

A digital system has been installed at the State Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies Corporation (State Pharma) to instantly view the stock of pharmacies across the country, Managing Director Dr Shah Mahir said.

One of the biggest obstacles to solving the medicine shortage in the Maldives has been the lack of visibility of drug availability in pharmacies in Male' and the atolls. Dr Shah told state media that the company is working to establish a sustainable and uninterrupted supply of medicines nationwide.

He said the new system will allow the stock of all State Pharma pharmacies to be identified in real time, and that the information will be made available to the public within the next two months.

In addition, the company is setting up medicine storage facilities, establishing hospital pharmacies, and conducting staff training.

If a prescribed medicine is not available at a particular pharmacy, State Pharma will share information on another pharmacy where the medicine is in stock. If the medicine is unavailable nationwide, an order will be placed at the earliest opportunity.

A 24-hour hotline (1505) has also been introduced for public inquiries regarding medicines.

State Pharma has so far signed agreements with three companies to import medicines sustainably, with more agreements underway. The company expects to see a positive change in the current medicine shortage by the middle of next year.