Drop-Dead Medicine Prices

In a world that no longer cares, we have learnt how to survive high food
prices, high product prices, high gasoline prices and the high prices of many other
things, but what is the price of becoming ill in our country? It seems to be quite a lot,
especially with the help of the practices of some pharmaceutical companies whose
control of medicine prices create major barriers to accessing health care.
A recent report presented by the Pharmacists Association in Alexandria to Dr
Hatem Gabaly, the Minister of Health has indicated a rapid rise in the prices of certain
types of commonly used medicines, in addition to the shrinking size of their
packaging. Some examples show almost a double increase in price and a simultaneous
quarter decrease in package size. The report also stated that these medicines dont
have official prescription prices, and what is worse, there are no alternatives for them
on the market.
With many medicines increasingly becoming unaffordable to a majority of
Egyptians, the reported average of whom, according to world surveys, lives below
poverty level, an alleviation of their suffering through a regulation of medicine prices
does not seem to be on the horizons. Indeed, such a phenomenon only emphasises,
once again, the industries in Egypt which seem to be designed first and foremost to
reap more money from the high prices they charge from the rich who can afford to
buy at the expense of many of the needs of the poor.
Dr. Gamal Abdel Wahab, Chairman of the Pharmacists Association in
Alexandria refers to such companies as "mafias", complaining that they control the
medical market in Egypt while the government seems to be content to stand aside. He
also adds, in seeming resignation, that the Pharmacists Association in Alexandria
presented a former report to the Minister of Health about how the prices of some
medicines have been cut down in their country of production, whereas Egyptian
pharmaceutical companies along with the Ministry of Health are still selling the same
medicines to the Egyptian population at the maximum price.
"We petitioned the Minister of Health to bring down the prices of these
medicines, since prices should be identical to the prices in the country of production,
and should also be affordable to Egyptian citizens. We requested that he keep a closer
eye on what is going on in the medical market in Egypt. But up till this moment,
nothing new has been done to stop this disaster." He asserted.
For that reason, Dr. Abdel Wahab expects new rapid raises in the prices of
medicines in the coming period, as long as the government and the Ministry of Health
are doing nothing to stop these mafia companies from exploiting Egyptians
financially. "In fact, the price of medicine in Egypt is no longer set by the Ministry of
Health," he indicates. "These 'mafia' companies are creating incredible profits, over
200% from each medicine," he adds.
Such news may appear surprising in light of the reports from spokesmen for
popular pharmaceutical companies about the supposed tight regulations imposed by
the government on pharma sector prices which has made some companies seek to set
up production outside of Egypt. Market prices of medicines are said to have been
frozen for an endless duration of time by the government. Even as the prices of
everything from bread to steel has doubled and tripled, there are products whose
prices have remained the same for over 20 years. For members of the pharma sector,
in light of such regulations, not only does setting product and price control measures
in their hands seem feasible, but are in fact necessary.
Yet for the patients, many seem to be losing faith in the current health care
system. If the situation seems to be that more and more patients are being denied all
forms of medical assistance, when many are forced every day to choose between the

struggle to make ends meet or simply going without the specialty care they need,
perhaps it is high time indeed that a pricing policy which aims at reducing the high
prices of essential medicines for priority diseases must be constituted for the sake of
helping the sick to continue breathing.
By Rasha Adel.