Health Ministry orders all pharmacies to be air-conditioned

Ministry of Health has taken measures to make air conditioning compulsory for the pharmacies island wide.

According to Ministry regulations new pharmacies will not be licensed by the Cosmetics Devices and Drug Control Authority (CDDCA) unless they are air conditioned.

The existing pharmacies have been given six months’ time to air condition the premises.  The Ministry has found that the stipulated temperature of 24 Celsius needed to store drugs in Sri Lanka is available only in Nuwara Eliya and in most of the other areas the temperature exceeds 35 Celsius. It affects the quality of the drugs, the Ministry points out.