New 24-hour hotline introduced for drug availability issues

The State Pharmaceutical and Medical Supply Corporation has launched a hotline to address public concerns related to the availability of medicines.

The service was announced by Managing Director Dr Shah Mahir during an appearance on the Raajje Miadhu programme.

Dr Mahir said the call centre has been established to respond to issues related to unavailable medicines, import requirements and pharmacy-related complaints.

“We are establishing a system to listen to and resolve issues related to unavailable medicines, drugs that need to be imported from abroad, and other pharmacy-related grievances,” he said.

He stated that the hotline will allow individuals to report concerns, which will then be processed for resolution.

In addition to the call centre, State Pharma has introduced a portal for uploading prescriptions. Dr Mahir said this will operate alongside existing systems, including Aasandha and National Social Protection Agency.

The hotline, available on 1505, operates on a 24-hour basis.

Dr Mahir said that cases received through the hotline will be addressed based on urgency. Where medicines are available locally, action will be taken immediately. For items requiring import, procurement processes will be initiated.

“Our goal is to ensure that essential medicines can be brought in as quickly as possible; some may arrive within two to three days, while others may take up to two weeks,” he said.

He added that State Pharma will continue to coordinate with relevant agencies to manage prescriptions and maintain the supply of medicines.