Medical care

Medical care

The Indonesian Medical Association's (IDI) promise (The
Jakarta Post, Dec. 8, 1994) to regulate members' fees to the
public (during private practice?) is a pleasant surprise and
indeed a caring gesture. However, whether IDI will commit to that
promise is something that remains to be seen. If they succeed in
such a venture it would be commendable.

There is one more area where the IDI and/or the concerned
government body should focus their attention on (if they have not
done so as yet) to serve the public -- it is to the cost of
medicines sold at drugstores.

As far I have seen here the cost of medicine (including or
excluding local tax) is not printed on the packaging by the
manufacturer. This enables the retailer to have a free hand in
marking up the price as he/she sees fit and customers don't
always realize they might be paying more than they would
elsewhere. The cost of medicines differs substantially from one
drugstore to other. It is impractical for customers to demand to
see a price list each time for verification. And who issues the
price lists to retailers? Whether it is a genuine price list also
cannot be ascertained by the public.

It is mandatory in many countries that the cost and the expiry
date of medication be printed on packaging by pharmaceutical
companies. But unfortunately, for reasons unknown, such a
stipulation does not seem to exist in Indonesia. Not all
manufacturers print the expiry date and almost none put prices on
the packaging. I believe it would be a tremendous service to the
public if these two vital bits of information were made available
by pharmaceutical companies.

It would be most pleasing if we could hear comments on this
subject, and on anything that is being done about it in the
interest of the public.

KRISHNAN A.

Surabaya, East Java