Md Joynal Abedin Khan :
The patients bound to pay extra prices for drugs as most of the items generally are being sold without imputed face value on the covers, bottles and packets of medicines.
The unscrupulous traders and salesmen most of the time take extra charges by giving fake seal for price and showing the false document papers of extreme tax on drugs, sufferers said.
The patients buy life-saving medicines in any cost from drug shops or pharmacies as per the self-fixed price of salesmen across the country. Even, they purchase medicines at varied prices from different drug shops, mainly from shops nearer to hospitals and clinics. Besides, most of the salesmen refuse to sell drugs according to face value or the rate of local drug owners’ association, the sufferers alleged.
Meanwhile, the prices of a good number of medicines have marked an abnormal rise in recent weeks prompting a refrain of disapproval by suffering patients and right bodies.
Eskayef Parhama has recently increased the price of Xinc-B, a combination of zinc and vitamin B, by 50 per cent from earlier Tk 60 to Tk 90 per pack and its popular generic omeprazole brand Losectil-20 capsule by 25 per cent from previous Tk 40 per strip to Tk 50, among other items. Renata hiked the price of its fexofenadin brand Fenadin-180 by 25 per cent from Tk 80 per strip to Tk 100 just within days after Square did the same.
Professor A B M Faroque, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology of Dhaka University and Convener of Sub-Committee of Drug Policy Formation-2016, told The New Nation on Monday, “The government will formulate the new Drug-Act to control over the irregularities from top to bottom of drug system.” The Drug Administration Department (DAD) of the government will bound to follow the salesmen, traders, producers hanging price list around 1300 types of medicines to ensure the control on extra price, the professor said.
He said the DAD also will publish the price and other rules on print media, electronic media and internet so that everybody is enable to know the drug and its price, he said.
“The absence of an effective and autonomous regulatory agency to fix the prices and check the price manipulation of pharmaceutical drugs in the country has contributed to the skyrocketing prices of the items. The government should increase the punishment for violation of drug act,” Professor Faroque said.
According to DAD, the drugs of 27,000 brands under 1400 generics produce Bangladesh government fixed prices of only 117 drugs. Afia Sultana alias Moni, a government primary teacher in the city, said, “A robbery system has been started to sell drugs and patients bound to purchase medicine to save lives.” “We have no alternative to avoid purchasing of drugs and the unscrupulous traders take the opportunity of the helpless people,” she said.
An injection that costs Tk 300,000 abroad will be available in Bangladesh for Tk 60,000 only, says Abdul Muqtadir, leader of Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries.
Professor Dr Rashid-E-Mahbbu, President of the Safe for Health Right Movement, said, “The price of medicine is increasing day by day as pharmaceutical companies fix the prices of medicines. The DAD only imputes tax on drug.”
“Golam Rahmman, President of Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), said that the government should take control from drug production to sell at any cost.
Md Ruhul Amin, Director of the DAD, admitted the irregularities and price hike of drug and said that government fixed prices of only 117 drug items.
“We also investigate the price of drugs considering their cost of production during giving the certificate,” the director said.
Momenul Haq, Senior Vice-President of Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries, said only some medicines may see a rise in prices and the increase will be marginal.
Golam Sarwar, Director of Ramna Pharmacy, said, “The price of drugs has been increased from 20 per cent to 90 percent in last six months. But the government should ensure the price of the drugs while formulating a new act so that any company can’t increase the price without government approval.”
Meanwhile, the cabinet on Monday endorsed the draft of a drug law which aims to raise the standard of the country’s medicine products to international level.
Proposed ‘National Drug Act 2016’ suggests a yearly review of the medicine products. Updates of the review will be published online, Cabinet Secretary Shafiul Alam said this while briefing reporters after the meeting on Monday.
The patients bound to pay extra prices for drugs as most of the items generally are being sold without imputed face value on the covers, bottles and packets of medicines.
The unscrupulous traders and salesmen most of the time take extra charges by giving fake seal for price and showing the false document papers of extreme tax on drugs, sufferers said.
The patients buy life-saving medicines in any cost from drug shops or pharmacies as per the self-fixed price of salesmen across the country. Even, they purchase medicines at varied prices from different drug shops, mainly from shops nearer to hospitals and clinics. Besides, most of the salesmen refuse to sell drugs according to face value or the rate of local drug owners’ association, the sufferers alleged.
Meanwhile, the prices of a good number of medicines have marked an abnormal rise in recent weeks prompting a refrain of disapproval by suffering patients and right bodies.
Eskayef Parhama has recently increased the price of Xinc-B, a combination of zinc and vitamin B, by 50 per cent from earlier Tk 60 to Tk 90 per pack and its popular generic omeprazole brand Losectil-20 capsule by 25 per cent from previous Tk 40 per strip to Tk 50, among other items. Renata hiked the price of its fexofenadin brand Fenadin-180 by 25 per cent from Tk 80 per strip to Tk 100 just within days after Square did the same.
Professor A B M Faroque, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology of Dhaka University and Convener of Sub-Committee of Drug Policy Formation-2016, told The New Nation on Monday, “The government will formulate the new Drug-Act to control over the irregularities from top to bottom of drug system.” The Drug Administration Department (DAD) of the government will bound to follow the salesmen, traders, producers hanging price list around 1300 types of medicines to ensure the control on extra price, the professor said.
He said the DAD also will publish the price and other rules on print media, electronic media and internet so that everybody is enable to know the drug and its price, he said.
“The absence of an effective and autonomous regulatory agency to fix the prices and check the price manipulation of pharmaceutical drugs in the country has contributed to the skyrocketing prices of the items. The government should increase the punishment for violation of drug act,” Professor Faroque said.
According to DAD, the drugs of 27,000 brands under 1400 generics produce Bangladesh government fixed prices of only 117 drugs. Afia Sultana alias Moni, a government primary teacher in the city, said, “A robbery system has been started to sell drugs and patients bound to purchase medicine to save lives.” “We have no alternative to avoid purchasing of drugs and the unscrupulous traders take the opportunity of the helpless people,” she said.
An injection that costs Tk 300,000 abroad will be available in Bangladesh for Tk 60,000 only, says Abdul Muqtadir, leader of Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries.
Professor Dr Rashid-E-Mahbbu, President of the Safe for Health Right Movement, said, “The price of medicine is increasing day by day as pharmaceutical companies fix the prices of medicines. The DAD only imputes tax on drug.”
“Golam Rahmman, President of Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), said that the government should take control from drug production to sell at any cost.
Md Ruhul Amin, Director of the DAD, admitted the irregularities and price hike of drug and said that government fixed prices of only 117 drug items.
“We also investigate the price of drugs considering their cost of production during giving the certificate,” the director said.
Momenul Haq, Senior Vice-President of Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries, said only some medicines may see a rise in prices and the increase will be marginal.
Golam Sarwar, Director of Ramna Pharmacy, said, “The price of drugs has been increased from 20 per cent to 90 percent in last six months. But the government should ensure the price of the drugs while formulating a new act so that any company can’t increase the price without government approval.”
Meanwhile, the cabinet on Monday endorsed the draft of a drug law which aims to raise the standard of the country’s medicine products to international level.
Proposed ‘National Drug Act 2016’ suggests a yearly review of the medicine products. Updates of the review will be published online, Cabinet Secretary Shafiul Alam said this while briefing reporters after the meeting on Monday.
