President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has directed the development of a system that will allow doctors to check medicine availability at State Trading Organisation (STO) pharmacies.

This decision follows public concerns over doctors prescribing medications that are unavailable at pharmacies under the national health insurance scheme, Aasandha.

According to the President’s Office, the move was prompted by a paper submitted by the Health Ministry during Sunday’s cabinet meeting. The initiative will include formulating treatment guidelines, granting doctors access to STO’s medicine stock availability dashboard, and familiarizing them with the system. This will enable doctors to check if prescribed medications are registered for issuance under Aasandha.

The President also decided to authorize STO, within the Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA) regulations, to ensure continuous availability of all drugs on the approved list at STO pharmacies. Additionally, STO will be permitted to import medicines from overseas hospitals empanelled under Aasandha.

As a long-term solution, a system will be established for STO to directly import medicines from pharmaceutical manufacturers. The President's Office also announced that the four GP clinics in Malé City will have continuous access to medicines through STO pharmacies, with plans to expand this system to all regional and atoll hospitals. If required medications are unavailable on the islands, a delivery system will be implemented to ensure patients receive them.

President Muizzu further decided to increase the Foreign Ministry's role in medicine imports and address delays in responding to service delivery complaints at the Health Ministry.

Other planned improvements include ensuring a stable medicine supply for inpatients and establishing a digital system to track every imported tablet. Prescriptions will also indicate medicine availability and location.

The President’s Office stated that these measures will ensure the public can access Aasandha-covered medications without difficulty.

Amid growing concerns over medicine shortages, STO cited issues with doctors prescribing specific brands rather than generic alternatives. However, doctors have argued that certain brands are necessary based on patient needs, such as allergies.

To address these challenges, a joint committee—including STO, Aasandha, MFDA, the Doctors’ Union, and the Medical Association—has been formed to find a swift resolution.