Some medicine overcharged- by upto 800-1000 pc Price control on drugs from next month 

by Don Asoka Wijewardena-- December 15, 2013

In a bid to curb drug importers exploiting patients, the government has decided to introduce a new price control mechanism from next month.

For want of a price control mechanism, drug importers have been over charging patients by as much as between 800 percent and 1,000 percent, Health Secretary Dr. Nihal Jayathilaka told The Island yesterday.

Asked whether the government was taking action to tackle the situation, he said that price controls on all drugs would come into operation next month.

Dr. Jayathilaka alleged that different drug importing firms were exploiting the people in an unprecedented way.

He pointed out that on the instructions of Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena, a committee comprising himself and the Trade Ministry Secretary had been appointed to prepare the price control formula. The new price formula would be presented to Minister Sirisena and Trade Minister Johnston Fernando in another two weeks.

"After the two Ministers approve the formula, Minister Sirisena will submit it to the Cabinet. Then, it will be gazetted and implemented," he said.

Medical Supplies Division (MSD) Director Dr. Kamala Jayasinghe said that price control formula for drugs was in force previously. But now, for want of price control mechanism, patients had to purchase drugs at exorbitant prices. It was a common scene that ten pharmacies were charging ten different prices for the same drugs. Approximately 1,000 kinds of drugs were being imported and around 400 were essential drugs.

The Island learns that the price controls had been removed during the previous regime for inexplicable reasons.

Price control not enough - GMOA 

December 15, 2013,

Clamping a price control on drugs would not be sufficient. The government should shoulder the responsibility of providing effective, safe and quality drugs to the people at affordable prices, Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) president Dr. Anuruddha Padeniya said yesterday.

He pointed out that a majority of poor patients had to bear the brunt of price escalations in drugs created by multinational drug companies. The government was aware that the present Drug Quality Assurance Laboratory was not in a position to test all kinds of drugs.

Dr. Padeniya cautioned that price control alone would never resolve the issue. The government must immediately stop the import of sub-standard and cheap drugs to the country. Price control on drugs was important, but if people ended up purchasing low quality and cheap drugs as a result, it would be dangerous. Although the country had been importing more than 1000 kinds of drugs, the Sri Lanka Quality Assurance Lab was not capable of testing all kinds of  drugs. It was the responsibility of the government to encourage the private sector drug manufacturing companies too. There was no dispute over the fact that the price controlled drugs should be of high quality, safe, and effective with post-marketing surveillance, he said.