Health Ministry to assign experienced F&D Inspectors: Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama

By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana

The Ministry of Health has agreed to assign a few experienced Food and Drug Inspectors to revive the operations of the now-defunct law enforcement division of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA), which is responsible for all the drug raids in the country, the Daily Mirror learns. The NMRA Law Enforcement Division, which was behind the exposure of the infamous human immunoglobulin scam and numerous medicinal drug inspections and raids is almost dysfunctional at present as the last two experienced Food and Drug Inspectors including the Chief Food and Drug Inspector went on retirement respectively last April and June.

Hence, the division has appointed two pharmacists to manage day-to-day paperwork as these employees were not experienced Food and Drug Inspectors to carry out inspection tasks and seize substandard or counterfeit medicinal drugs sold in the market. When contacted, Chairman NMRA Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama told the Daily Mirror the Ministry of Health has agreed to assign a few of its experienced Food and Drug Inspectors to the NMRA to revive its operations in the law enforcement division.

He said more new qualified pharmacists would be absorbed into the division in the near future to train them with the laws pertaining to the NMRA Act to revive its enforcement duties soon.
The NMRA, empowered by the National Medicines Regulatory Authority Act No.5 of 2015, is responsible for protecting and improving public health by ensuring medicinal products available in the country meet applicable standards of safety, quality and efficacy. The authority regulates medicines, medical devices, borderline products, clinical trials and cosmetics.

The role of NMRA as described under its Act is monitored by the authority’s Law Enforcement Division, manned by its staff Food and Drug Inspectors.