Managing Director of Aasandha Company, Aminath Zeeniya, has stated that 60 per cent of the scheme’s expenditure is allocated to pharmacies, highlighting key challenges within the system.

Zeeniya made the remarks while appearing before the Parliament’s State Owned Enterprises Committee on Tuesday, alongside officials from relevant state institutions, including the State Pharmaceutical and Medical Supply Corporation.

Responding to questions, she noted that despite significant spending on medicines, difficulties persist in accessing drugs through the scheme.

She explained that Aasandha covers all medicines approved by the Food and Drug Authority, but challenges remain in ensuring the availability of these medicines at pharmacies.

Zeeniya also pointed out that some drugs listed as approved are not imported into the country, and that there is currently no effective system to track which medicines are being imported or discontinued.

While addressing concerns over drug quality, she said the approved medicines are generally of good quality, though complaints have been raised about pharmacies issuing lower-quality alternatives despite receiving payments for higher-quality drugs.

She further revealed that instances have been identified where patients are charged for expensive medicines while being given lower-priced alternatives.

Highlighting pricing issues, Zeeniya said some pharmacies are applying significant markups, with certain medicines being sold at margins of up to 500 per cent. She added that efforts are underway to introduce bulk procurement to address these concerns.

Describing the issue as a national challenge, Zeeniya noted that more than 800 pharmacies are currently empanelled under Aasandha, with over 3,000 medicines covered by the scheme.