New state company to take over STO-run pharmacies
The State Pharmaceutical and Medical Supply Corporation was formed in September to handle the import of medicines.
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The government is preparing to transfer pharmacies currently operated by the State Trading Organization (STO) to the newly established State Pharmaceutical and Medical Supply Corporation, according to officials familiar with the process.
The State Pharmaceutical and Medical Supply Corporation was formed in September to handle the import of medicines, following public concerns over shortages of medicines used to treat major diseases.
Work is under way to transfer STO-run pharmacies to the new corporation in phases, with the process expected to be completed by the 15th of next month. Once the transfer is finalised, more than 190 pharmacies operated by STO, along with their staff in Malé and across the islands, will come under the management of the new entity.
STO has operated pharmacy services in the Maldives for more than four decades and has supplied medicines that are not commonly available through private pharmacies.
Under the new arrangement, the State Pharmaceutical and Medical Supply Corporation will be responsible for importing medicines, including those required under overseas prescriptions, as well as medicines procured through bulk purchasing arrangements coordinated with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
