📈 Medicine Prices Under Review Amid Rising Import Costs and Supply Pressures

• Overall Situation: Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa announced that the Health Ministry is reviewing pharmaceutical industry requests to revise maximum retail prices (MRPs) upward. No final decision has been made yet, but regulations allow for price revisions if the exchange rate fluctuates by more than 5%. • The Core Issue: Sri Lanka is heavily dependent on imported medical supplies, with imports valued at US$ 667 Mn last year. The Sri Lankan rupee's depreciation, volatile exchange rates, and higher global supply chain expenses (freight, fuel, and clearance charges) are driving up local operational costs. • Supply Chain Risks: The Sri Lanka Chamber of the Pharmaceutical Industry (SLCPI) warned that escalating costs and regulatory delays threaten the uninterrupted availability of essential and life-saving medicines. • National Impact: The SLCPI emphasized that failure to address these pricing pressures could trigger severe healthcare sector strains, leading to medicine shortages, delayed patient treatments, and heavy operational pressure on hospitals and pharmacies.