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PMRP
proposes ways to slash drug prices The PMRP patron Dr. K. Balasubramaniam addressing a seminar in Colombo said a comprehensive draft for a national medicinal drugs policy had been presented to the Health Ministry in February and more people would have access to quality drugs at affordable prices if this policy was implemented soon. He and other eminent speakers at the seminar called on the government and Health Ministry to present legislation in parliament soon for a national medicinal drugs policy so that the Health Ministry and the consumers affairs authority could regulate and control drug prices. He said the national drug policy would be an instrument which gave the administrators in the Ministry and Department of Health Services clear guidance, with legal support, to provide safe and effective medicinal drugs of good quality to all Sri Lankans within the resources available to the government and the people. Dr. Balasubramaniam said the key factor in the national drugs policy would be an essential drugs list base on the hallowed Senaka Bibile principles which the World Health Organisation had recommended and which were being implemented successfully in some 150 countries. The essential drugs list would include about 300 drugs and with about five dosages of it the total would be about 1500 instead of some 8,000 varieties or formulations known to be registered now. In this way the country and the people could cut down expenses by a substantial margin while sustained quality control could also be maintained. Among other speakers at the seminar were Professor Carlo Fonseka, former dean of the Colombo faculty and eminent medical personalties; Professor Tuley de Silva, president of the Sri Lanka Association for the advancement of science and the pharmaceutical society of Sri Lanka; Dr. Joel Fernando, Professor of family medicine and consultant nutritionist Dr. Damyanthi Perera. They called on doctors to help reduce the medical expenses of patients and the cost of living by prescribing drugs under their generic names or low cost brand names. They expressed regret that many consultants and others prescribed quality low cost drugs under generic names when they treated patients in public hospitals during the day time but in the evening this same consultant would go to private hospital and prescribe expensive brand names. The speakers pointed out that doctors played a too powerful a role in the health delivery teams and measures were needed to further empower others like nurses and pharmacists. Consultant nutritionist Dr. Damyanthi said the people needed to be made aware of the latest scientific research which showed that diseases like diabetes, blood pressure and high cholesterol could be prevented or managed by proper nutrition and diet instead of giving more and more drugs. |
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