Don't raise drug prices without permission: Governor

Don't raise drug prices without permission: Governor

JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso has asked privately owned
drugstores and city-owned hospitals here not to raise their
service fees and drug prices without permission from the
government.

"Don't add to the people's burdens, especially sick people's.
Don't take personal advantage of the monetary crisis when drug
prices and medical service fees can be maintained," he said over
the weekend.

The city is home to hundreds of private drugstores many of
which have raised prices following a significant drop in the
rupiah's value against the US dollar.

Of the hundreds of hospitals in the city, four are under city
administration supervision.

They are the Koja Hospital in North Jakarta, the Pasar Rebo
Hospital in East Jakarta, and the Tarakan and Budi Asih hospitals
in Central Jakarta.

Minister of Health Sujudi said earlier that the government
would raise the prices of generic and non-generic medicines by as
much as 15 percent in April.

The price hike was necessary because prices of imported raw
materials needed to make the drugs had continued to soar due to
the depreciating rupiah, he said.

Sutiyoso said: "I've personally ordered city-owned hospitals
to maintain their service fees to ease patients' financial
burdens."

According to Sujudi, the pharmaceutical industry imports 70
percent to 80 percent of the raw materials used to manufacture
quality drugs.

Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association data shows that there
are 63 pharmaceutical manufacturing companies, 271 distributors,
649 dispensaries and 327 drugstores in the city.

But City Health Office data says there are 470 drugstores in
the city.

Based on The Jakarta Post observations, most drugstores have
raised their prices before the official date set by the
government.

Henny, a pharmacist who works at a 24-hour drugstore in
Rawamangun, East Jakarta said the prices of drugs had soared
since last December.

"The distributors here have already put prices up 20 percent
more than usual. So we have no choice but to make price
adjustments," she said.

Heru from Kramat Jati drugstore in East Jakarta said the same.
"It is impossible for us not to raise the prices of drugs,
because manufacturers have already hiked the prices. For
instance, one strip of Ponstan (pain killer tablets) used to cost
Rp 3,000. But now the price has more than doubled to Rp 6,500."

Fanie Heriyati, a pharmacist who works in South Jakarta said
many patients complained about the price hikes.

"But what more we can do? I feel pity for them, especially
those we consider to be our regular customers. I just hope the
situation gets better," she said.

Chairman of the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) Azrul
Azwar has also asked physicians not to add to the financial
burdens of their patients as they are also faced with significant
rises in household staples and commodities.

"IDI has never suggested doctors increase their billing," he
said last month. (edt)