An entrepreneur who sells consumer foreign drugs said that the price of drugs has increased more than two times in consumer drug stores in Yangon, and there is a shortage of Biogesic (Paracetamol) and other drugs.
Starting from last June 9th, the prices of consumer medicines exported from abroad have gradually increased, and since July 20th, depending on the large and small pharmaceutical companies, all consumer medicines have been sold at an increase of 10% to 15%, the entrepreneur said.
“It’s not half the price. It has risen more than two times. The FDA did not allow pharmaceutical ships to dock, so the price went up,” he explained.
A pharmaceutical company owner, who did not wish to be named, said that the price of consumer medicine has risen significantly because the Myanmar Food and Drug Administration (FDA) did not allow ships transporting consumer medicine exported from abroad to dock in the country at the direction of the caretaker government so-called the terrorist SAC.
In addition, a pharmaceutical company owner, who did not want to be named, said that Decolgen, Paracetamol, Paracap (green) and Biogesic medicine which are popular in the domestic market and are easily purchased and consumed by the grassroots, are ordered by air from abroad, As these medical planes only fly directly to Nay Pyi Taw, not only the money to buy the medicine but also the transportation costs, the price of medicine is increasing,
“To give the simplest example, a Paracetamol card used to cost 300 kyats. I mean the good 500mg green paracap. It costs 900 kyats per card in the market now. Who suffer it? Only people suffer it. If you pay almost three times the price of 300 kyats worth, just think about the rest of the high-priced drugs. Just live in the place of patients who depend on medicine every day. They can’t control it and are acting like crazy dogs. When the next day’s stocked drugs run out, the price will only go up,” a pharmaceutical company owner, who did not want to be named, told the MPA of his opinion.
When the MPA asked the owners of rationed pharmacies in Kyauktadar Township, Ko Eric, who runs a foreign and traditional medicine shop, said that there were experiencing drug shortages, and it has not yet reached the situation where patients have to buy more medicine as it is spreading on social networks, but it is on the verge of reaching it.
“Biogesic have become less and less available in shops. Woods’ cough syrup is sold also out. We only got 1,600 kyats worth of this. People think this is a trivial matter, patients’ concerned people have found themselves in a situation which they have to buy partly from cards to each card,” Ko Eric, who opened a foreign and traditional medicine shop, shared his review through the MPA.
When the MPA asked a woman who came to buy consumer medicine whether the price of medicine had increased, she said that on July 19, she was paying 42,000 kyats for a 50-card box of Biogesic.
“I went to buy a box today and it’s already sold out in 6 stores. I got it when I arrived at this store. I paid 42,000 kyats per box. If you don’t buy it because you are not satisfied, you will suffer. When the price goes up, we suffer all of it,” said a woman who came to buy consumer medicine.
Currently, the terrorist SAC does not accept the application of new companies to sell consumer drugs, and they said applicants have to wait for 5 years and due to the suspension of export from abroad, the market of consumer medicine and foreign export goods is increasing exponentially, and many people are complaining because the Terrorist SAC has not been able to solve it well.