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| Sunday, 30 April 2006 |
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Lack of knowledge makes you pay more for medical drugs by Lalin Fernandopulle The lack of knowledge is the premier price that one has to pay for medical drugs. The common man is not aware that he could buy good quality drugs at an affordable price, Chairman State Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC), Sarath De Silva said. The brand named drugs are expensive because manufacturers have to bear the cost on research, advertising and packaging. The supply of generic drugs is in bulk and there is nothing to advertise. Paracetamol which is the generic term for Panadol costs only 35 cents whereas a Panadol costs Rs. 1.60. Therefore it is cheaper to buy the generic version of drugs which is qualitatively the same as the branded version, De Silva said. Most doctors prescribe the expensive brand versions instead of the generic which is qualitatively good and affordable for the common man. As a result patients are compelled to buy the expensive drugs and patients of low income families have to bear an unaffordable bill. De Silva said the opinion of many patients is that the expensive brand named drugs are qualitatively superior to generic drugs. The Chinese proverb which says "cheap things no good and good things no cheap" cannot be applied in deciding what version of drugs to buy. Former SPC Chairman Prof. K.U. Kamalgoda said credit should go to Prof. Senake Bibile who introduced a rational drug policy in the 1970s for the use of the generic version of drugs. His research on rational use of drugs is referred by the WHO as a comprehensive piece of work. The State Pharmaceuticals Corporation Marketing Director Surangani Perera said the SPC will introduce a 24-hour-hotline from mid May for the public to obtain information on drugs and the prices. Paracetamol, the generic term for Panadol is 35 cents whereas a Panadol is Rs. 1.60. Six Mebendazole 100m tablets prescribed for worm treatment for children is Rs. 2.40 while the brand Vermox is Rs. 75. The generic Atenalol 100m tablet for high blood pressure is Re. 1. The brand Tenomin 100m tablet is Rs. 41.71. Today over 6,000 medical drugs under various brand names are being imported by pharmaceutical companies. It is profitable for pharmaceutical companies to sell only the brand named drugs and not the generic version, Minister of Science and Technology, Prof. Tissa Vitharana said. There should be a mechanism where it is mandatary that all doctors should prescribe the cheaper and affordable generic drugs than the expensive brands. It should be their first option and only if the generic is not available to prescribe the brand name. He said patients have the right to ask the doctor to prescribe generic drugs instead of the expensive brands. A doctor who cares for his patients will be reasonable and see to his welfare. Today it is not the patient who is the end user of drugs but the doctor who decides what drugs a patient should take. In the good old days the medical profession was considered sacred but sadly today it has lost its good name, Prof. Vitharana said. He said today the society has to fight the three mafias namely arms,
drugs and pharmaceuticals. It is no easy task and policy makers should pay
serious attention to this problem namely drugs. |
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