New StatePharma database planned to track availability of chronic disease medicines

StatePharma is developing a dedicated database that will allow information on medicines used to treat chronic illnesses that are unavailable in different parts of the Maldives to be shared with the public and relevant stakeholders.

The state-owned pharmaceutical company said the initiative is aimed at quickly identifying difficulties faced by patients in obtaining essential long-term medications through health centres and pharmacies, and finding timely solutions to ensure access to treatment.

Speaking during a media tour of StatePharma's central warehouse in Hulhumale' on Tuesday, Chief Commercial Officer Ahmed Imaad said the company is already collecting information from islands and relevant institutions on medicines that are difficult to obtain.

According to Imaad, the database will eventually be made accessible to the public, allowing information to be shared more efficiently and helping authorities determine medicine requirements across islands.

StatePharma plans to pilot the system during the first quarter of next year before expanding it nationwide.

The company said the platform would allow issues relating to medicine availability to be identified more quickly, enabling supplies to be arranged faster for patients who require medication for chronic illnesses.

Imaad said StatePharma is already working to identify islands with higher demand for long-term medications and to ensure uninterrupted access to essential medicines.

"Our teams are currently gathering information from islands across the country and from relevant institutions. We are developing the database internally and intend to make it available to the public so that the same information can be shared more widely," he said.

Addressing concerns over delays in importing medicines, Imaad said some setbacks had arisen due to regulatory requirements and supply chain challenges. However, he noted that many of those issues are now being resolved through cooperation with the Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA) and the Ministry of Health.

StatePharma also urged members of the public experiencing difficulties obtaining medicines to contact its call centre on 1505.

The company further revealed that a platform allowing users to view medicine availability and pricing information is expected to go live within the next two weeks. In addition, medicines that are not available in the Maldives can already be requested through the company's online portal.

The company was created to address challenges in accessing medicines and to ensure uninterrupted availability of quality pharmaceuticals and medical equipment nationwide. More than 190 pharmacies previously operated by STO have since been transferred to StatePharma.