[e-drug] Policy to control medicine prices to be tabled soon in Malaysia

e-drug
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E-DRUG: Policy to control medicine prices to be tabled soon in Malaysia
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Dear E-druggers

In 2004-2005, a medicine pricing survey was conducted
in Malaysia and later on the findings were published
on HAI website.
(http://www.haiweb.org/medicineprices/surveys/200410MY/survey_report.pdf).
The salient features of the report were high medicine
prices and mark-ups in private pharmacies and in
dispensing doctors’ clinics.

In view of the above, now Malaysian Ministry of Health
has announced to formulate a proposal to control
medicine prices. Below please find the news report and
the Minister's comments.
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Friday/NewsBreak/20060630181356/Article/index_html
[Link may need repair]

This is a very timely decision indeed and a ray of
hope for the Malaysian consumers. Thanks to WHO and
Health Action International for all the support and
guidance for the work done. WHO and HAI work on
medicine pricing is now bearing fruit and hope we will
listen many more success stories soon.
    
Regards

Zaheer-Ud-din Babar, MScPharm
Senior Lecturer
School of Pharmacy, University College Sedaya
International
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
horizon_pharm@yahoo.com

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E-DRUG: Policy to control medicine prices to be tabled soon in Malaysia (2)
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I had a recent personal experience in Malaysia.

During a holiday, my daughter contracted suppurative otitis media, highly
febrile.

I walked into a pharmacy and wanted to buy some Amoxycillin.

The pharmacy attendant tried to "sell" me an expensive Fluoroquinolone that was not indicated.

His main argument was that how could anything as cheap as the Amoxycillin
possibly help my daughter better than this wonderful expensive
Fluoroquinolone, and that I as a rich western tourist should not be so
stingy.

I did not identify myself as a doctor. No prescription was requested. I got the antibiotics in an unlabelled paper bag without any instructions nor product information.

It demonstrated to me how lack of regulation in the pharmaceutical sector
leads to consumerism potentially harmful to outcome

Horst

Horst Herb
subscriptions@gnumed.net