At the meeting, Minister Senaratna said that pharmacies sell 450 medicines manufactured by the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation and for 114 medicines a discount of 18 percent will be given.

The pharmacy owners said that with the increase in the US dollar the profit they get is not sufficient. The Minister said that he would discuss with the SPC and get the trade benefit for private pharmacy owners.

The representatives said that the registration fee has been increased to Rs 18,000 from Rs 4,600. The Minister instructed the Chairman of the National Drug Regulatory Authority Asitha De Silva to reduce the amount to Rs 7,500 and issue a gazette.

The representatives said that the registration fee for shops, maintaining retail and wholesale stocks was Rs 6,500 and now it has been increased to Rs 38,750. The minister instructed the Chairman of the National Drug Regulatory Authority to look into it and reduce the amount to Rs 10,000.

The Minister said that it is necessary to regulate the pharmacies as there are many in one town which results in a deterioration of the quality of service provided.

He said some doctors keep medicine stocks, which is prohibited. The minister requested the owners of pharmacies to prepare a report of such doctors and hand it over to the NDRA to carryout investigations.