Price control on drugs from January
Nadira GUNATILLEKE
In a bid to save patients from being exploited by pharmacists, the
government will impose price control on all medical drugs from January
1, 2012.
"Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena decided to implement price
control for drugs from next January. Price control existed for drugs
till 2002, but the UNP removed it, enabling drug traders and pharmacies
to make unlawful profits from selling drugs to patients," a Health
Ministry spokesman said.
According to the spokesman a decision was earlier taken to implement
price control from mid next year but it will be implemented from January
1 next year on the direction of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Health
Minister Sirisena, the spokesman said.
"It was decided to implement a price control for drugs considering
three main facts. The same drug is available at different prices in
different pharmacies.
"The same drug is available in different trade names at high prices.
Patients do not know these facts and fall prey to drug traders and
pharmacists who make profits by selling expensive brands of cheap
drugs," he said.
"Another fact is when doctors prescribe cheap brands, pharmacists say
that the brand is not available and sell expensive brands of the same
drug. All these problems will be solved once the price control for drugs
is implemented," he added. |