Drug prices rising uncontrollably: Common people in crisis

The Dhaka Times Desk Due to uncontrollable increase in the price of medicines, the condition of the common people of the country has become miserable. Because low-income people, when the price of fish, meat or any other product increases, they save their expenses by practicing austerity, but in case of illness, there is no alternative to medicine. And so the low-income common people of the country are in a big crisis today. Drug price has increased from 15% to 100% in last 3 months.

In this regard, it is known that the price of medicine has recently increased from 15% to 100%. Especially common drugs like paracetamol, antacids, all drugs of nitrometazole group and saline given to emergency patients have also increased manifold. The price of a saline of 50 taka has increased to 220 taka! Although there is a provision to sell medicines according to the price written on the medicine, that provision is not being followed. The price of medicine which is written on Tk 15 is Tk 25 or Tk 30. When the vendors are asked about this, they give the excuse that the prices have suddenly gone up, due to which the companies are giving us the old medicine at a higher price. Because of which we are forced to sell. Many medicines are being priced many times higher than the previous price by making such lame arguments. But there is no one to see. In this regard, a drug dealer said that almost the price of drugs has increased. He said that the gas medicine Ranitid used to cost 20 taka per page now it is 25 taka per page. Children's medicine Napa Syrup was earlier sold at Tk 13 but now it is sold at Tk 21. Elactol tablets were earlier sold at Rs.25, now they are being sold at Rs.30. However, after talking with the businessman, it was understood that there was no difference in the profit of the traders. The 12 or 13% profits are still given to keep prices low. Buyers have to calculate the fees from the middle.

Meanwhile, the relevant department of drug administration is playing a kind of silent role. Medicines are being sold at inflated prices right under their noses but they are watching it silently. An official of the related drug administration said on condition of anonymity, "We know the prices of many drugs are being kept high but we don't have that much manpower." We are playing the role of silent spectators even if we want to. However, no medicine is supposed to enter the market more than the price set by the drug administration.

When an official of a well-known pharmaceutical company of the country was asked about this, he tried to avoid the issue at first. Later, on condition of anonymity, he said, "We have systematically increased the prices. Everything has gone up in price all over the world. It has been found that in the last budget, the government did not increase the tax on the import of raw materials for the pharmaceutical industry. In this regard, the official said, "Though the price of raw materials has not increased, other difficulties including transportation have increased excessively, due to which we had no choice but to increase the price of medicines."

On the other hand, when an official of Bekmimco Pharma, the country's leading drug company was contacted, he said that the price of any drug in our company has not increased. The prices of many of our drugs were low, they have been adjusted. Moreover, we do not have the authority to increase the price. The Drug Administration controls them. Contact them. Only they can say better about it.

There are various criticisms and complaints about the national drug policy. In about 30 years, the drug policy of the people has now been made the drug policy of the businessmen. Unlawful and unethical marketing of medicinal products. According to the drug policy, one of the conditions to be fulfilled before allowing a new drug to be marketed in the country's market is the completion of clinical trials to determine its effect on public health. Without doing that, foreign drugs are freely entering our market with certificates that are being sold in some developed countries. The need for these drugs is not considered, nor is any initiative taken to verify or control their quality. As a result, our market is flooded with food supplements, vitamins, tonics, anti-oxidants, fat reduction drugs etc. People are buying them because of flashy advertisements. A class of irresponsible doctors are also forcing patients to buy these medicines. Along with this, the trade of low quality or adulterated drugs has been going on in this country for a long time. In newspapers we often see various alarming reports about adulterated and fake medicines in the market. There are also cases of fraud in the name of medicine by mixing different types of chemicals with brick powder. Such factories have also been caught by mobile courts. Not only adulteration, but also painful memories like the marketing of toxic drugs. Sad memories of multiple paracetamol tragedies still haunt us. Although the parliamentary committee related to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has been somewhat open about this in the past, there has been no change in the situation.

Bangladesh, a civilized country, should not carry out such deceptive marketing activities on the health of its people.