Reviewing medicine prices
Thursday, 7 June 2007
A report in this daily said that the government is considering to review the prices of medicines taking into consideration that it has not been increased for nearly a decade. In a press briefing recently, Health Adviser Major General (Rtd.)ASM Motiur Rahman has indicated about the government intention for the revision. It has created a common understanding that his observation was based on the information, provided by pharmaceutical companies.
But practically what we experience is that every now and then, the dealers hike the prices of many life-saving medicines by manipulating their supply.
In the rural area, it is often seen that poor people have to buy medicines at prices much higher than the actual. It has been found that prices of many life-saving drugs were doubled or tripled in comparison with the retail prices.
There were allegations against some pharmaceutical companies that these dealers manipulate the prices to earn more profit on taking their support.
So it is a request to the government that it should review the prices from all points of views, not only on taking that of the pharmaceutical companies into consideration. Medicines are very important in our life.
They are necessary not only for affluent people when they are sick, they are also needed by the poor people for helping them to overcome their sufferings of all kinds -- physical and mental.
Rehana Parveen
Eskaton
Dhaka
But practically what we experience is that every now and then, the dealers hike the prices of many life-saving medicines by manipulating their supply.
In the rural area, it is often seen that poor people have to buy medicines at prices much higher than the actual. It has been found that prices of many life-saving drugs were doubled or tripled in comparison with the retail prices.
There were allegations against some pharmaceutical companies that these dealers manipulate the prices to earn more profit on taking their support.
So it is a request to the government that it should review the prices from all points of views, not only on taking that of the pharmaceutical companies into consideration. Medicines are very important in our life.
They are necessary not only for affluent people when they are sick, they are also needed by the poor people for helping them to overcome their sufferings of all kinds -- physical and mental.
Rehana Parveen
Eskaton
Dhaka