E-DRUG: Wanted drug prices: Can anyone help?
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An emerging debate in the United States which has already led to
demonstrations, the action of Bristol Myers Squibb to donate 100 million
dollars toward African needs regarding HIV illness, and attacks on Vice
President Al Gore's policies vis a vis protectionist stance of the USA
against South Africa and other country's desire to use parallel
importing and compulsory licensing are all centered around certain key
questions about which there is insufficient information.
One which I am asking those in a position to know is: what are the
prices for essential medicines in your country? I would like to make a
plea to pharmacists in developing countries to please inform me prices
of essential medicines which they sell especially HIV medications,
ranitidine, fluconazole, ketocanozole, and TB medications. I want to
know the price, the currency, the name of the company, the country, and
if there are more than one brand of the drug and if so what the
competing prices are.
I need to know these in order to create a more complete analysis that
will shed some light on the differences in drug prices between countries
and areas.
I am part of the health GAP coalition which is a group of HIV activists
in the USA trying to get access to essential medications for developing
countries. We are focusing in part on the issues of compulsory
licensing and parallel importing, but these are by no means the only
vehicles we have discussed for getting less expensive products
available.
I would not ask for this info if there were any way to determine this in
any other way. I have already searched the internet, spoken with James
Love, secured the HAI info and there simply IS no other source. If there
are any sources I have overlooked please inform me.
David Scondras
1-617-266-0051 (fax)
1-617-266-0735(phone)
Email: scondras@aol.com
[Note from the co-moderator: Drug prices is a hot topic and has been
raised in E-DRUG several times. David was directed to the E-DRUG
archives, to the drug comparison study done by Consumers' International
in Malaysia, and the different drug price indicators available but he
wants more. Those interested please send your responses directly to
David and hopefully he will summarize these and post it to E-DRUG for
the benefit for all.
Meanwhile, it would be useful to consider creating a website which lists
prices of essential medicines in different countries. Would anyone like
to volunteer or may be Jamie Love can host this site and e-druggers from
around the world can email him prices of a select number of essential
meds. Just a thought. Syed Rizwanuddin Ahmad]
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