Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa told Parliament on Friday that 219 pharmacies across the country did not receive license renewals from the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA), primarily due to the absence of permanent pharmacists.
“Are they asking to renew their licenses without a permanent pharmacist? We cannot do that,” he said.
He further added that the NMRA had received 2,039 applications for license renewal for the 2024–2025 period, of which 1,820 were approved by July 18. Of the 219 that were not renewed, 137 failed to secure renewals because they did not have full-time, qualified pharmacists — a key regulatory requirement. The Minister noted that these pharmacies may reapply once they meet the staffing requirement.
The remaining 82 applications were rejected for failing to comply with NMRA guidelines for community pharmacy practices.
“We have approved close to 90% of the licenses. Only 10% were not approved due to these issues. However, some pharmacy associations are talking as if this is a crisis across the entire country,” he said.
The Minister was responding to a question by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, who reiterated concerns over how the strict enforcement of regulations is affecting pharmacies, especially amid a national shortage of qualified pharmacists. Premadasa had earlier called for interim solutions and greater clarity on the government’s plans to address the shortfall. (NewsWire)
