Government lowers prices of 29 top-selling generic drugs

Sari P. Setiogi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government announced on Tuesday price reductions of between 10 percent and 50 percent on 29 top-selling generic drugs, due to lower prices of imported raw materials.

The new prices will be effective on Wednesday and valid through 2005. However, Minister of Health Siti Fadilah Supari said it might take about two months for pharmacists and drug stores to adjust the prices.

She said the price reduction became possible due to lower prices of raw materials of several generic drugs, such as antibiotic amoxicillin, antibacterial cyprofloxacyn and hypertension drug captopril.

"Therefore we also suggest that branded drug manufacturers who use the lower-priced raw materials to lower their prices as well," said the minister.

However, prices of 124 generic drugs that do not sell so well remain the same.

Following the price reduction, a box of 100 capsules of antibiotic amoxicillin anhidrat which costs Rp 27,300 (US$3), is now available at Rp 21,840 after a 20 percent discount.

Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) head Sampoerno said the reduction in the cost of raw materials was up to 75 percent.

"In the past, we relied on raw material producers in the United States and Europe. Now there are manufacturers from China and India that are able to produce similar raw materials at much lower prices," he said.

President director of generic drug manufacturer Kimia Farma, Gunawan Pranoto, said although the raw materials now cost 75 percent less, the company could not reduce the prices that much.

"Although the raw materials are becoming cheaper, fuel prices and the minimum wage for workers will soon increase and we need to calculate that as well," he said.

By October 2004, the countrywide use of generic drugs as observed through pharmacy stores reached about 60 percent.

Sampoerno said the annual growth in the use of generic drugs in the country was expected to reach 25 percent next year, while currently it was still between 15 percent and 20 percent.

Some people still worry about taking generic drugs, which are cheaper than branded drugs and, therefore, are considered less effective.

"In fact, research shows that generic drugs we have here have the same efficacy as branded ones, while the price could be 12 times lower," said Sampoerno.

Revised prices of generic drugs

No. Name Package Old price New price

1. Amoxicillin anhidrat tablet 500 mg box of 100 Rp 40,340 Rp 32,272
2. Amoxicillin anhidrat capsule 250 mg box of 120 Rp 32,670 Rp 26,136
3. Amoxicillin anhidrat capsule 250 mg box of 100 Rp 27,300 Rp 21,840
4. Aciclovir tablet 400 mg box of 100 Rp136,080 Rp102,060
5. Aciclovir tablet 400 mg box of 50 Rp 85,800 Rp 64,350
6. Aciclovir tablet 400 mg box of 30 Rp 51,480 Rp 38,610
7. Aciclovir tablet 200 mg box of 50 Rp 49,000 Rp 36,750
8. Aciclovir tablet 200 mg box of 100 Rp 89,400 Rp 67,050
9. Aciclovir tablet 200 mg box of 30 Rp 29,700 Rp 22,275
10. Diltiazem HCl tablet 30 mg box of 100 Rp 26,000 Rp 19,500
11. Erythromycin capsule 500 mg box of 100 Rp110,000 Rp 99,000
12. Erythromycin capsule 250 mg box of 120 Rp 59,000 Rp 53,100
13. Erythromycin capsule 250 mg box of 100 Rp 56,000 Rp 50,400
14. Furosemid tablet 40 mg box of 200 Rp 20,350 Rp 18,315
15. Furosemid tablet 40 mg box of 100 Rp 8,820 Rp 7,938
16. Gentamicin injection 80 mg/ml vial 1 Rp 5,000 Rp 3,750
17. Griseofulvin tablet 125 mg box of 100 Rp 17,600 Rp 14,960
18. Captopril tablet 25 mg box of 100 Rp 31,500 Rp 20,475
19. Captopril tablet 25 mg box of 60 Rp 19,500 Rp 12,675
20. Captopril tablet 12.5 mg box of 100 Rp 22,000 Rp 14,300
21. Captopril tablet 12.5 mg box of 60 Rp 13,200 Rp 8,580
22. Cotrimoxazole DOEN (adult) box of 100 Rp 19,265 Rp 16,375
23. Cotrimoxazole DOEN (child) box of 100 Rp 7,500 Rp 6,375
24. Metronidazole tablet 500mg box of 100 Rp 18,040 Rp 16,236
25. Metronidazole tablet 250 mg box of 100 Rp 11,783 Rp 10,604
26. Pyranizamide tablet 500 mg box of 100 Rp 46,200 Rp 39,270
27. Ranitidine tablet 150 mg box of 100 Rp 60,000 Rp 45,000
28. Ranitidine tablet 150 mg box of 30 Rp 18,700 Rp 14,025
29. Cyprofloxacin tablet 500 mg box of 50 Rp 86,403 Rp 43,202