The State Pharmaceutical and Medical Supply Corporation Limited (State Pharma) has launched efforts to stock a full range of antibiotics in the Maldives as the country steps up its fight against antibiotic resistance.
Speaking on PSM News’ Raajje Miadhu programme, the corporation’s Managing Director Dr. Shah Mahir said the Maldives needs access to every class of antibiotic to tackle the growing threat of drug-resistant infections.
The corporation currently focuses on maintaining a steady supply of around 1,200 essential medicines. Once it stabilizes the availability of these medicines, Shah said the corporation will review its drug list and identify the medicines that doctors prescribe most frequently.
Shah stressed that doctors need access to alternative antibiotics when first-line treatments fail because of resistance.
“If a first-line antibiotic does not work or encounters resistance, doctors need to move to a second-line option,” he said, adding that a wider antibiotic stock would give healthcare providers access to the treatments they need.
He said improving access to the full range of antibiotics could speed up patient recovery and held the Maldives curb antibiotic resistance.
The corporation has also started consulting doctors at health centers across the islands to identify the medicines their communities need most. Shah said the approach would allow the corporation to stock commonly used medicines closer to patients while reducing unnecessary waste.
The corporation ultimately aims to ensure that hospital pharmacies can consistently supply every medicine that doctors prescribe, Shah said.