Don't raise drug prices without permission: Governor<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso has asked privately owned
\ndrugstores and city-owned hospitals here not to raise their
\nservice fees and drug prices without permission from the
\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
\"Don't add to the people's burdens, especially sick people's.
\nDon't take personal advantage of the monetary crisis when drug
\nprices and medical service fees can be maintained,\" he said over
\nthe weekend.<\/p>\n
The city is home to hundreds of private drugstores many of
\nwhich have raised prices following a significant drop in the
\nrupiah's value against the US dollar.<\/p>\n
Of the hundreds of hospitals in the city, four are under city
\nadministration supervision.<\/p>\n
They are the Koja Hospital in North Jakarta, the Pasar Rebo
\nHospital in East Jakarta, and the Tarakan and Budi Asih hospitals
\nin Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Minister of Health Sujudi said earlier that the government
\nwould raise the prices of generic and non-generic medicines by as
\nmuch as 15 percent in April.<\/p>\n
The price hike was necessary because prices of imported raw
\nmaterials needed to make the drugs had continued to soar due to
\nthe depreciating rupiah, he said.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso said: \"I've personally ordered city-owned hospitals
\nto maintain their service fees to ease patients' financial
\nburdens.\"<\/p>\n
According to Sujudi, the pharmaceutical industry imports 70
\npercent to 80 percent of the raw materials used to manufacture
\nquality drugs.<\/p>\n
Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association data shows that there
\nare 63 pharmaceutical manufacturing companies, 271 distributors,
\n649 dispensaries and 327 drugstores in the city.<\/p>\n
But City Health Office data says there are 470 drugstores in
\nthe city.<\/p>\n
Based on The Jakarta Post observations, most drugstores have
\nraised their prices before the official date set by the
\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
Henny, a pharmacist who works at a 24-hour drugstore in
\nRawamangun, East Jakarta said the prices of drugs had soared
\nsince last December.<\/p>\n
\"The distributors here have already put prices up 20 percent
\nmore than usual. So we have no choice but to make price
\nadjustments,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Heru from Kramat Jati drugstore in East Jakarta said the same.
\n\"It is impossible for us not to raise the prices of drugs,
\nbecause manufacturers have already hiked the prices. For
\ninstance, one strip of Ponstan (pain killer tablets) used to cost
\nRp 3,000. But now the price has more than doubled to Rp 6,500.\"<\/p>\n
Fanie Heriyati, a pharmacist who works in South Jakarta said
\nmany patients complained about the price hikes.<\/p>\n
\"But what more we can do? I feel pity for them, especially
\nthose we consider to be our regular customers. I just hope the
\nsituation gets better,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) Azrul
\nAzwar has also asked physicians not to add to the financial
\nburdens of their patients as they are also faced with significant
\nrises in household staples and commodities.<\/p>\n
\"IDI has never suggested doctors increase their billing,\" he
\nsaid last month. (edt)<\/p>",
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