Making medicine affordable

The first drug policy of Bangladesh, adopted in 1982, made it mandatory for the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) to fix retail prices of essential drugs. The policy got some amendments in 2005 and 2016. The latest policy made price approval compulsory for a total of 420 drugs from the drug administration.
However, more than 6,000 drugs are currently being produced and imported in the country. What is alarming is that most of our pharmaceutical companies no longer want to manufacture the drugs that require price approval from the DGDA. So, there is apparently no control of the government on fixing drug prices. Pharmaceutical companies are charging whatever they want, making the poor suffer the most. During the last couple of years the price of medicines has skyrocketed in the domestic market.
A drastic change in the situation is overdue. Retail prices of each medicine, produced in the country or imported from abroad, should be approved by the government agency so that the authorities concerned can ensure reasonable price for drugs. The existing drug policy should be amended so that all pharmaceutical companies have to take price approval from the drug administration. Price control in the domestic market by the drug administration will make the drugs affordable to people. Bangladesh needs a well-organised drug administration with adequate laboratories, modern equipment and big investment by the government if the county wants to realise the potential of the sector.
Md Ashraf Hossain
120, Middle Bashabo, Dhaka-1214,
mah120cb@yahoo.com