50% of donated medicines sold illegaly: YPKKI

50% of donated medicines sold illegaly: YPKKI

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Half of the subsidized and donated medicines for low-income
people and flood victims have allegedly been sold in black
markets across the capital.

The Indonesian Health Consumer Empowerment Foundation
announced its findings from market surveys at Pramuka, Glodok,
Blok M, Senen, Kramat Jati, Benhil and Rawa Bening, which are
well-known as black markets for pharmaceutical products.

Foundation chairman Dr. Marius Widjajarta told a media
conference on Monday that he suspected collusion between
officials from the Ministry of Health, the City Health Agency,
medicine distributors, producers and public health centers in the
sale of these items.

"Actually, our findings are not that new. We began to conduct
the surveys after realizing that illegal medicine sales had
increased during the recent floods," he said, adding that the
surveys had taken place several days after the three-week-long
floods that hit Jakarta from Jan. 28.

Marius suspected that the officials had stored the medicines
instead of distributing them to the needy, especially flood
victims.

"Most the medicines have an expiry date in May or June as they
were produced four years ago."

Minister of Health Achmad Sujudi has promised to take stern
action against officers found guilty of selling the medicines and
has asked regency health offices to increase monitoring of the
distribution process.

The call has yet to be responded to.

The foundation revealed there were 23 types of subsidized and
six types of donated medicine from Japan and the Philippines on
the market.

At the conference, several cartons of antibiotics, on which
were written "not for sale", "Japan donation" and some strips of
contraceptive pills labeled "obat PKD" ("subsidized medicines
available only in public health centers"), were on display.

Marius said patients had been unable to get Microgynon
contraceptive pills at city health centers but could easily find
them on the black market.

"It has affected low-income patients. They have to pay Rp
6,000 (58.8 US cents) to Rp 10,000 for both medicine and medical
treatment from a health center, instead of the official fee of Rp
2,000."

Several vendors in Pramuka market admitted they had obtained
drugs from officers of the health centers and hospitals, rather
than from agents or pharmaceutical company representatives.

"They deliver antibiotics, vitamins and contraceptive pills
once every three months. They say they're surplus products," said
Ana, refusing to reveal the identity of the officers.

Pramuka market is a favorite place for wholesale traders
rather than individual customers as it always offers cheaper
prices.

A drug store sells a 500-milligram bottle of the antibiotic
Sulfadimidin, containing 1,000 tablets, for only Rp 25,000. At a
lawful pharmacy, the price is Rp 100,000 per bottle.

Marius also urged the ministry to increase its control over
distributors of subsidized and donated medicines as well as to
give transparent information on the stocks of medicines held to
stop the illegal trade.

"The ministry has never announced the amount of buffer stock
-- it should have kept the public informed about this," he said.

As of this year, the ministry has allocated Rp 130 billion to
subsidize medicines at health centers for low-income residents.

Marius also called on donor countries to make clear how much
medicine they were distributing.

"Please, give us transparent information on the distribution
of the medicines. We have heard rumors that some of the donated
medicines are not actually part of a grant but a loan," he said.

An official from the Japan International Cooperation Agency
refused to comment on the matter.

"We'll probably arrange a media conference on the issue," he
said.