Medicine prices to be fixed nationwide

Staff Reporter :

The interim government has listed 295 essential medicines and has decided to fix their selling prices, aiming to improve access to treatment and medicines for the public.

The decision came at a meeting of the Advisory Council on Thursday, said Md Sayedur Rahman, special assistant on health affairs to the chief advisor.

He said traders would be required to sell these medicines at prices set by the government in the interest of public healthcare and access to medicines. However, they will get time for gradual implementation.

On Thursday, Sayedur said an essential medicines list was prepared. Requests were made at the Advisory Council meeting to include one or two more drugs, which could raise the number to 295 or 296.

The key aspect of the decision, he said, is that all medicines included in the list will have their prices fixed by the government.