The Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA) has introduced a new grading system for pharmacies to improve the availability of medicines across the country.

Under the new system, pharmacies will be classified into two grades. Pharmacies operating independently of healthcare facilities will be designated as Grade 1, while those within healthcare facilities will be classified as Grade 2.

Previously, all pharmacies were required to stock 70 per cent of the medicines listed on the Essential Medicines List, creating financial and operational challenges by requiring them to keep rarely used medicines in stock.

Under the revised rules, pharmacies will only be required to stock medicines relevant to their assigned grade. Hospital pharmacies will have different requirements depending on the level of healthcare facility they serve. All pharmacies must maintain at least 80 per cent of the medicines required for their grade.

MFDA has given pharmacies six months to comply with the new requirements. The authority said newly registered pharmacies will only be licensed to sell medicines after meeting the stocking requirements for their assigned grade.

The changes form part of wider government efforts to improve access to medicines, alongside the establishment of State Pharmaceuticals to strengthen the country's pharmaceutical supply.