Medicines being sold at exorbitant prices, says survey

NST: PETALING JAYA: Many patients are being made to pay exorbitant prices for their medicines.
A survey has found that brand-name medicines for major diseases can cost between 20 and 100 times more than the lowest-priced generic alternatives.
These include drugs to treat hypertension such as Furosemide, which costs 50 times more; Captopril, 15 times more; and Nifedipine Retard, 30 times.
The painkiller Diclofenac is 30 times more costly, while the antibiotic Ciprofloxacin costs 110 times more than its generic equivalents.
Other drugs priced higher than they should be among the 48 commonly used ones covered by the survey are Fluoxetine (for treating depression), Glibenclamide (diabetes) and Ranitidine and Omeprazole (ulcers).
In short, the survey shows that drug prices in Malaysia are far above the international reference pricing, a guide on how much medicines should cost.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Health Action International (HAI), drugs are too expensive when they are priced five times the cost.
"We’re not against legitimate profit-making.
"Five to 10 times is okay, but 100 times raises eyebrows," said Zaheer Ud Din Babar, the lead researcher of the "Medicine Prices Availability, Affordability and Price Components in Malaysia" survey.
Conducted by University College Sedaya International and Universiti Sains Malaysia in collaboration with WHO and HAI last year, the survey revealed that profit margins and mark-ups were particularly high at clinics and private retailers.
Zaheer suggested separating the prescribing and dispensing functions for better control over prices, noting that prices were kicked up at every level from manufacturer to pharmacy.
"The Government should not be blamed. It is trying to provide cheap drugs to Malaysia by eliminating taxes. We have to look at pharmacies and doctors."
"The Government should set and regulate mark-ups by fixing price margins for wholesalers and retailers."
Zaheer said the soon-to-be implemented National Medicines Policy would help, but there was a pressing need for a national pricing policy for medicines which cost more in Malaysia than in many other developing countries, including India and Sri Lanka.
"The healthcare system in Malaysia is good but there is a need to promote generics and strengthen the pharmaceutical industry so that they can produce more generics."