Dubai: The price of drugs for chronic diseases will drop soon, a senior Ministry of Health official said on Monday after a day of meetings with international pharmaceutical firms.
A large section of the UAE population suffers from chronic ailments such as Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
The cost of the drugs will be reduced by up to 15 per cent, said Dr Ameen Al Amiri, chief executive officer for Medical Practice and Licensing at the ministry. He said there was a positive response from the companies who agreed to support the ministry.
The official said the cost of 177 types of medicines in the UAE was much higher than in other countries in the region.
"In our new system we will be able to reduce that," he said.
Dr Al Amiri said a study last year across the GCC states and Arab countries showed that drug prices were the highest in the UAE.
"Under the new system that will drop," he said.
The meeting was held on Monday in Dubai between the ministry and representatives of some of the largest international pharmaceutical research companies.
"It is do-able," said Nidal Fakhouri, chairman of Phrmag, a consortium of pharmaceutical firms.
He said the pricing will specifically look at therapies for chronic diseases which patients take for a long period of time.
Negotiating with firms
"We have agreed [to cut prices]," he said, but added that the ministry will now be negotiating with the individual companies.
Fakhouri said there are different mark-ups and margins for pharmacies in the region.
"The [prices] in Lebanon, Jordan and the UAE are markedly different," he said.
The sticky point in the negotiations could be the reduction of the CIF (Cost, Insurance, Freight) as most of the drugs are imported into the country.
The Ministry of Health has over the years had to deal with the issues of high prices and quality. About 75 per cent of drugs in the market are high-priced patented drugs.
Industry experts believe that the mark-up between the price at the port and the retail outlet is about 44 per cent in the UAE.
In comparison, the mark-up in Europe varies between 15 and 20 per cent.
What do you think of this initiative? Do you suffer from any chronic diseases? Have you faced any difficulties in receiving the proper medication?
