The Sri Lanka Chamber of the Pharmaceutical Industry (SLCPI) has called for urgent government intervention to avert a looming medicine shortage, warning that mounting pressure on the supply chain is threatening uninterrupted access to essential and life-saving drugs.
In a statement issued Tuesday, the industry body said a combination of rising global supply-chain costs, exchange-rate volatility, higher freight and fuel bills, import licence delays and escalating compliance expenses is squeezing the flow of medicines into the country. Without immediate action, shortages could hit private pharmacies and state hospitals alike, leaving patients, healthcare workers and emergency services exposed.
“Sri Lanka remains heavily dependent on imported pharmaceuticals and imported raw materials,” the SLCPI said, leaving the market “especially vulnerable to global volatility and domestic delays.”
The chamber framed the warning as a national-level concern rather than a sector-specific one, linking it directly to public health, continuity of care and the country’s ability to respond to emergencies. It cautioned that prolonged pressure on the regulated supply chain risks widening into a public safety crisis if the availability of safe, approved medicines is compromised.
SLCPI has urged authorities to move on three specific fronts: clearing backlogs in import licence processing, better sequencing licence renewals against periodic price reviews, and formally recognising the sharp rise in freight, fuel, exchange and other input costs in regulatory pricing decisions.
The warning lands as Hormuz-linked shipping premiums continue to push up cargo costs and the rupee trades near Rs. 320 at commercial banks, widening the landed-cost gap for importers who settle invoices in dollars.
Sources: SLCPI statement via Ada Derana.
