Make generic drugs available<\/p>\n
Living as an expatriate physician in Jakarta, I had the
\nfollowing experience:<\/p>\n
Recently in a well-known dispensary I stood beside a customer
\nwho needed a special medicine. From the clothes he wore one could
\ntell that he was not wealthy. As for the medicine he needed, he
\nwas given the most expensive one.<\/p>\n
Being a physician myself I knew that the same medicine
\nproduced by another world-famous company is much less expensive.
\nBut the dispensary did not have these less expensive medicines in
\nstock.<\/p>\n
I would like to forward the following questions:<\/p>\n
* Why in this time of economic crisis does the dispensary not
\noffer also generic brand medicines of good quality and lower
\npriced, as listed in the MIMS?<\/p>\n
* Why do the doctors not prescribe less expensive medicine (of
\nthe same good quality) for people hit by the economic crisis?<\/p>\n
* Do doctors and dispensaries not feel an obligation to provide
\npoorer people with medicine they can afford? Or is the health
\nsector here just business and an opportunity to get rich without
\nresponsibility for the whole population?<\/p>\n
* How is it possible that in Europe, where the wages are much
\nhigher (so running a dispensary is more expensive), many
\nmedications are less expensive than in Indonesia?<\/p>\n
I think it is a task for the Ministry of Health to take care
\nof.<\/p>\n
DR. WOLFGANG BENKEL<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/make-generic-drugs-available-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }