Referring to a seminar organized by BIDS, an English newspaper reported recently that from recent survey it was found that pharmaceutical companies spent 29.36% of turnover against marketing. The turnover in 2018 was Taka 200 billion. One can imagine the huge amount involved in drug marketing, mostly bribing doctors. It was mentioned that prices of drugs were high as drug producers had to pay doctors huge money in cash, costly gifts, sent doctors along with family members abroad for attending seminars and for pleasure trips to prescribe their drugs. Those expenditures were added to cost of production. As a result, prices of drugs went high. That is, patients had to bear the huge bribe cost.
Drug producers in Bangladesh do not sale drugs by generic names. Same drug is sold in different prices in different trade names. Doctors also prescribe drugs in trade names. Drug Ordinance 1982 prohibited sale of drugs in trade names. BNP after assuming administration in 1991 had withdrawn the restriction. People are counting the change.
Anti-Corruption Commission can investigate bribe factor of drug industry along with bribe receiving doctors as the huge bribe had to bear by public and make the involved persons to face court of justice.
To bring rationality in drug business, more specifically to remove bribing doctors by pharmaceutical companies, production and sale of drugs must be made in generic names like original Drug Ordinance 1982. It is to be made mandatory to prescribe drugs by doctors in generic names. Pharmaceutical companies well have to take price approval from Drug Administration for all drugs they produce before marketing. If the suggested measures are done one-third price of locally produced drugs will be reduced without effecting profit of producers.
Will democratic AL government do that?
Md Ashraf Hossain
120, Central Bashabo,
Dhaka-1214
