Breathless at the price of medicine!

Dhaka: The right side of Sayeed Hossain (42)'s body has become paralyzed due to a stroke. He has high blood pressure and hormonal problems. He came to the capital's Ibrahim Cardiac Hospital for a follow-up. His wife Fahmida Khatun said that Sayeed had been bedridden for a long time since his stroke last year. He has several other complications, including high blood pressure. Although the cost of treatment used to be 4-5 thousand taka per month, the current cost is about 6-7 thousand taka per month due to the increase in the price of medicine, which has become difficult to bear.

An investigation into the increase in the price of medicine in the capital's pharmacies revealed that the prices of various essential medicines have increased significantly. For example, fexofenadine has increased from 8 taka to 9 taka per piece, azithromycin from 35 taka to 40 taka per piece, montelukast from 16 taka to 17 taka 50 paisa per piece, vitamins B1, B6, B12 from 7 taka to 10 taka per piece. In addition, the price of esomeprazole has increased from 5 taka to 7 taka, losartan potassium 50 mg from 8 taka to 10 taka per piece, and paracetamol 500 mg from 8 taka to 12 taka per 10 pieces.

Tarek Mahmud, an employee of a private organization who came to buy medicine at Badda's Hossain Medical Hall, said, "I suffer from high blood pressure. Earlier, I used to buy a sheet of medicine for 80 taka, but now I have to buy it for 100 taka. Since my income has remained the same, it has become difficult to manage the expenses."

A study by the Health Economics Unit showed that a patient has to spend 68.50% of his own pocket for treatment, of which 64% is spent on buying medicine. Professor Dr. of the Institute of Health Economics, Dhaka University Syed Abdul Hamid said, ‘The country produces more medicines than needed and companies do aggressive marketing. As a result, unnecessary use of medicines increases, which is one of the reasons for increasing costs.’

Director and spokesperson of the Department of Drug Administration Dr. Md. Akhtar Hossain said, ‘I have been in charge for a short while. As far as I know, no instructions have been given to increase the prices of medicines in the last five-six months.’

S. M. Shafiuzzaman, Secretary General of the Pharmaceutical Industry Association, said in this regard, ‘The prices of medicines have not increased recently. If the prices have increased in the market, it has increased for other reasons.’

The current situation of increasing prices of medicines along with the purchasing power of the common people of the country has become difficult. There has been a demand from the public to take effective steps to reduce the cost of treatment and control the prices of medicines.