Govt intervention sought: Prices of medicine soaring

Anisul Islam Noor :
The country’s pharmaceutical companies have increased the prices of medicines without any valid reason. In the country at present, there is no law to deal with fixation of price and effective monitoring of drug administration. The medicine producing companies take the advantage thereof and fix drug prices as per their sweet will, patients said.
As a result, the lower-and the middle-income-groups of people suffer most. They have demanded the government’s interference to mitigate public sufferings, as public health is involved with it, sources said.
According to firsthand findings, the price of 10 Antacid tablets of Square, Incepta and Beximco Pharmaceuticals is Tk20, marking a rise of Tk five recently.
Antacid syrup of Square Company now sells at Tk77, compared with Tk55 just
a few months ago. Acme, Incepta and Ibn Sina have also increased the prices of their brands of syrup.
People could buy Antacid tablet with Tk.50 per piece two years ago. The price has been double by this time. The prices of Seklo, Proceptin and Cosec were Tk four each about two months ago, now selling at Tk five.
The price of Painkiller Tablet Flexi (100 mg) has increased to Tk4.20 from Tk3 per piece in two months. In contrast, the same tablet produced by Diclofenac, Ketorolac and Ibuprofen groups is also being sold at Tk1.5 per piece.
The calcium capsules containing 50 pieces now sell at Tk600, increasing from Tk420 in one month. The prices of medicines useful for patients suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes and respiratory diseases have also gone up.
A S M Monir Hossain, Assistant General Secretary of Bangladesh Chemists and Druggists Association, said, “The prices of medicines are on the rise, as the government does not take care of it.”
Director General of Drug Major General Md Jahangir Hossain Mollik could not be contacted in cell phones for talks on the issue.
According to Drug Administration (DA) officials, the government has listed 117 medicines as essential drugs for primary healthcare and the drug administration controls their prices, but the pharmaceutical companies determine the prices of other medicines.
Talking to The New Nation, Dr Nazrul Islam said, the government should have a policy and control over medicine prices. “Overall monitoring, including sample test, should be maintained.”
Bangladesh imports lots of foreign medicines and there should be a committee to fix the prices of foreign medicines.
Sources said although all the medicine companies’ production cost is almost identical, price differ. Since they import raw materials of medicines from abroad, there should not be discrepancy in regards to price.