State Pharma Takes Over 193 STO Pharmacies to Restructure Medicine Supply

The State Pharmaceutical and Medical Supply Corporation (State Pharma) has officially assumed control of the Maldives' largest pharmacy network from the State Trading Organisation (STO). This transition involves the transfer of 193 outlets, marking the most significant restructuring of the nation's medicine supply chain in recent years. State Pharma Managing Director Dr Shah Mahir confirmed that audits of the inventory at each transferred pharmacy have been completed. He stated that the corporation is currently upgrading its stock-management platform to provide live data for all outlets in the coming days. The migration of all pharmacy systems and registries to State Pharma is already underway as part of the administrative transition. Moving forward, State Pharma will take over the sourcing of essential medicines for the Maldives. While drugs previously ordered by STO are expected to arrive within the next three months, State Pharma is actively working to procure medicines that are currently unavailable in the country. The corporation is also finalizing a comprehensive assessment of the population's most urgent medicinal needs to implement early-procurement procedures and prevent future shortages. Addressing a critical gap in the supply chain, Dr Mahir noted that only 25 percent of medicines used in the Maldives are currently registered under STO. To manage the remaining 75 percent, State Pharma has begun collaborating with private-sector importers to build a more resilient, island-wide distribution system. In addition to these logistical changes, State Pharma has already begun dispensing prescription medications to patients. To assist the public, the corporation has launched a dedicated hotline, 1050, to handle inquiries and facilitate the distribution of drugs through government social-assistance programs.