The Sri Lanka National Pharmaceuticals Policy was established in the 1970s following the submission of a report by Dr S.A. Wickremasinghe and Prof. Seneka Bibile.
The United Front Government of 1970 appointed the Wickremasinghe-Bibile commission of inquiry into this issue and it recommended the establishment a national policy and of a state body to regularize the trade.
In Sri Lanka, the Ministry of Health requested Prof. Seneka Bibile to look into his matter and he prepared the Ceylon Hospital Formulary (CHF) of about 630 drugs under their generic names.
The SPC channeled all imports and production of pharmaceuticals, calling for worldwide bulk tenders which were limited to the approved drugs listed in the CHF.
The SPC bought from an Indian company the raw material necessary for a widely used tranquilizer at a much lower price than that charged by a Swiss multinational.
The extravagant promotional practices of drugs manufacturers were stopped to remove the dangers and costs inherent in process.
With Bibile’s assistance, it published "Case Studies in the Transfer of Technology: Pharmaceutical Policies in Sri Lanka".
However, at present, because of decentralization of drug supply, while standard treatment guidelines are available, there is no effective monitoring system for prescription practices is in place; there is little quality assessment and no incentive for rational use.
Implementation of the NMDP could reduce the number of drugs imported, prescribed and sold in Sri Lanka to about 350 varieties.