Poor and middle-income people suffering from various diseases are struggling to bear their healthcare costs as prices of some essential drugs are going beyond their capacity, sources said. They said this section of people is the worst victims of rising drug prices as they have to spend a major portion of their daily incomes for buying medicines. Talking to medicine retailers and consumers in the capital, this correspondent found that prices of most of the medicines used for treatment of various diseases, including cardiac problem, gastric, diabetics, hypertensive problem and pain, have increased sharply over the last six months. The retailers said the medicine market is not stable and some of drug outlets are taking more than drug level price which creates confusion while buying medicines as they fail to understand the reasons behind the abnormal price hikes. This correspondent has visited different parts of the capital, including Shahbagh, Hatirpool and Dhanmondi, and found that the price of Napa extend-665mg (per 10 tablets) jumped to Tk 22 from Tk 16. Azitrowmycine, a widely used antibiotic, is now selling at Tk 40 per tablet, up from Tk 35 a week ago. Prices of Pantonix-20 mg and Pantonix-40 mg (per ten tablets) jumped to Tk 55 from Tk 45 and Tk 65 from Tk 55 respectively. Price of EC plus, a combined vitamin tablet, has increased to Tk 210 a phial from Tk 180 in the span of few months. Avolac, a laxative drug, is now selling at Tk 130, up from its previous price of Tk 100. Price of Ciprofloxacin, a common antibiotic used for multiple purposes, has increased to Tk 160 (per ten tablets) from Tk 140. Price of Losartan Potassium, used to ease high blood pressure, has also jumped to Tk 100 (per ten tablets) from Tk 80. Diclofenac, a group medicine, is now being sold at Tk 40 (per ten tablets), which was only Tk 10 few months ago. A box of Orsaline is being sold at Tk 140 from its previous price of Tk 95. The prices of Seclo, Proceptin and Cosec were Tk 4 each about two months earlier and now each of them costs Tk 6. Painkiller tablet Flexi (100 mg) was sold at Tk 4 (per tablet) two months back on the local market, which is now selling at Tk 7. The same tablet produced by Diclofenac, Ketorolac, buprofen groups is also being sold at Tk 1 per piece. The calcium capsules were available at Tk 420 one month ago, but now at Tk 600. Abdullah Al Mamyn, a medicine retailer of Green Road in the capital, said price of painkiller Reservix (100mg of Incepta) was Tk 4 around three months back but it is now selling at Tk 6. The price of cardiac medicine Angilock was Tk 6 per tablet nearly three months ago but it is now selling at Tk 8. Price of Osartil (50 mg) tablet has jumped to Tk 8 from Tk 6. Price of cough syrup such as Ambrox was Tk 40 roughly two months ago but nowadays it is selling at Tk 45. Adovas of the same company was sold at Tk 40 one month ago and now its price is Tk 50. Basok syrup also costs Tk 10 more now as its price rose to 50 from Tk 40. Renowned public health expert Dr Muhammad Abdus Sabur said poor, low-income and middle-income groups are the worst sufferers of rising medicine prices as their per month income is neither high nor moderate to meet the growing medical expenditure. “Pharmaceutical companies are increasing the prices of medicines at their will in the absence of any government monitoring though there is a drug administration to act as a watchdog in this sector,” he added. He opined that the government should take this issue into consideration so that the poor and middle-income people can get medicine at affordable prices. Abdul Muktadir, secretary of Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries (BAPI), said prices of only two percent medicines have increased. The pharmaceutical companies are under tremendous pressure due to rise in price of raw materials and cost of utilities like electricity and diesel and labour, said Muktadir. Selim Bharami, Director of Drug Administration Authority, in a recent programme said prices of 117 listed medicines have not increased, but prices of some other medicines have risen. He also indicated lack of policy restrictions on the medicine market as the cause of price hike of medicines. A new drug policy is going to be introduced soon so that the drug administration could work for the interest of common people, he said.
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