The availability of a good number of essential drugs in the market has become a problem of late as their manufacturers are increasingly becoming disinterested in manufacturing the same because of the government's price control measures, sources said.
Currently, the mismatch between demand for, and supply of, of essential medicines the prices of which are fixed by the government is estimated at about 40 per cent, according to market insiders.
Excepting for a few, most leading pharmaceutical companies are not manufacturing the essential drugs saying that their overhead cost is more than prices fixed by the government for the same.
A Drug Administration (DA) office sources said since the essential drugs are not fetching profits up to the desired level the pharmaceutical companies are also not that keen in promoting the same to the physicians.
He said the drug manufacturers promote the new molecules and drugs the prices of which are not controlled by the government. The manufacturers have hiked prices of most drugs and medicines between 25 to 100 per cent over the last one year.
Currently out of 1400 generic pharmaceutical products available in the market the government controls prices of only 117 items under essential drugs list.
A source in the market said as the supply of essential drugs has declined, their prices have recorded rise. So people are unable to buy them at prices fixed by the government.
"The controlled drugs are being sold at 60 to 100 per cent higher prices," he said.
A DA official told FE that the pharmaceutical manufacturers were asked to produce essential drugs in sufficient quantities but the latter were violating government directives.
He said the new companies are mainly concentrating in the production of high tech and new molecules so that they can promote the brands and sell those at higher prices and earn hefty profits.
Regarding the violation of directives by the manufacturers he said the DA office is concerned about the violations but there is no headway in taking actions.
He said it is important to make price-controlled branded medicines available in the market so that people can get them at prices they can afford.
A Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceuticals Industry (BAPI) leader said, "Due to controlled prices we cannot make profit from the essential items but we manufacture them in line with our ability."
He said, "My own company produces over 30 essential medicines and we make profit from other items the prices of which are not controlled."
He said, "If we produce all the essential items and sell them at controlled prices then it would not be possible for us to remain in business."
Another source in the DA office said the government is yet to take necessary measure to make the essential medicines available to the people and it is urgent to take necessary steps in the ongoing vulnerable situation.
A source in a leading drug manufacturing company said most of the old drug companies are manufacturing essential medicines according their ability but the new companies' strategy is to manufacture new molecules and make profits from the huge investments they had made.
He said there should be a time befitting policy so that companies would manufacture all the essential medicines but would make profits to a certain level.
The source said his company is producing a good number of price- controlled products with a minimum profit but they make profits from other decontrolled products.
Another chemist and druggist source said essential products of branded companies are not available as per demand and their import is banned.
He said in many cases the physicians prescribe essential drugs that are not being manufactured locally or being imported because of the official ban.
"To meet demand for such medicines, they are being smuggled into the country and many leading private hospitals do have their own sources of getting those," he alleged.
According to source, to make some drug items available as per World Health Organisation (WHO) directives it is mandatory that every government must maintain some essential drugs under controlled prices so that people can get those at an affordable rate.
Another source in the DA office said many essential items are old fashioned and currently many physicians do not prescribe some essential items as new drugs are there for treatment.
He said so the government should review the matter and take necessary steps for ensuring essential drug items as per demand and affordability of the people.
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