Dubai: Medicine prices in the UAE are at the lowest rate when compared to all other GCC states thanks to a systematic price reduction policy adopted by the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention in active cooperation with international pharmaceutical companies, says a top official.
In six successful price reduction initiatives from 2011 to 2016, the Ministry has been able to reduce the prices of innovative pharmaceutical drugs by nearly 80 per cent, said Dr Ameen Hussain Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary for Public health and licensing sector and vice chairman of the medical licensing committee at the Ministry, reviewing the outcome of the initiative.
Dr Al Amiri has spear-headed the price reduction campaign to make medicines more affordable in the UAE to suit the pockets of the poor and improve the nation’s health sector.
Reiterating the need for locally manufactured medicine, Dr Al Amiri said that the Ministry has taken up the challenge of encouraging global pharmaceutical companies to manufacture their products within the UAE in collaboration with local bodies to reduce the cost of shipping and export that adversely impacted the price of the drug.
Dr Al Amiri also hailed the effective and positive role played by international pharmaceutical companies in responding positively to the price reduction initiative.
He noted that fruitful cooperation had resulted in many positives, including benefits to patients, especially those with chronic, viral, neurological and heart diseases as well as various types of cancers, where they are required to take drugs either for a lifetime or for long periods. On the commercial front the collaboration had helped nurture the strategic public-private partnership between the ministry and the global companies, encouraging private investment in the country’s health sector apart from drastic price reduction.
Price reduction initiative at a glance from 2011 -2016
• First initiative on June 26, 2011 reduced prices of 565 innovative drugs between five and 55 per cent
• In the second initiative in November 13, 2011, prices of 115 unprecedented drug were reduced between 5 and 35 per cent
• The third initiative in March 6, 2013 reduced the prices 6,632 drugs class between 1 and 40 per cent
• Fourth initiative, from November 11, 2013, reduced prices of 192 drugs between 1 and 60 per cent,
• Fifth initiative in October 28, 2015 lowered the prices of 282 drugs between 1 and 60 per cent
• Sixth initiative effective from January 1, 2016 cut down prices of 142 pharmaceutical items between 1 and 50 per cent