People grumble about high medicine prices

JAKARTA (JP): The following are some people's thoughts on medicine prices.

Ahmad Fuad Afdhal, a former executive of the widely diversified Bimantara Group and now a successful businessman: The main reason why medicine is very expensive is high promotion costs. The aggressive promotion of medicine includes conspiracy with related parties. Even by my standards, medicine is still too expensive.

Dartim, private driver of video clip producer Jay Subiyakto: My relatives and I always go to public clinics when we are sick for cheaper treatment. For a man with an income like mine, even the so-called generic drugs are still too expensive. That's why I will never see a private practitioner, who is well-known for his or her high service charge. This sort of doctor usually recommends a bulk of expensive drugs as well.

Amir, an employee of a printing company: As a regular user of medicines to overcome hypertension, I frequently see the doctor.

As a common citizen, I cannot compare the prices of my medicines with those sold overseas. As a patient, I seldom question the medicines my doctor recommends to me.

All I know is that every year, the prices of my medicines increase at a stunning rate of about 20 percent. But every time my doctor gives me medicine, I always ask what it's for, how it works and whether it has side-effects. Other than that, I can only ask him to give me the cheapest medicine, particularly because I will be using it on a long-term basis.

I really think most of our doctors lack idealism, which would make them want to spare patients the burden of having to pay for expensive drugs. Instead, the majority of our doctors have the wrong concept in prescribing drugs for their patients: They will choose the one -- perhaps the most expensive brand -- for which they have been "bribed" into promoting.

Sugiyono, driver of Citra taxi: If I go to a hospital, I always tell the doctor that I'm a taxi driver so he or she could give me medicines which a taxi driver could afford to buy. I don't know whether I'll change this practice when one day God gives me a better job with better pay.

Sugijo, owner of a pharmacy in South Jakarta: It's amazing how the prices of some medicines have skyrocketed while the prices of their generic versions have not changed at all. It means that the price hike is not caused by a change in the price of raw materials. Maybe the factories want more profits, or maybe they want to speed up their return on investment, or maybe this is because of the fluctuating rate of the dollar against the rupiah.

Dzamilla, a university student: "It's still a mystery to me why the government prefers to control the prices of goods like cement rather than that of medicines. I won't believe there's no big money behind this mystery. People can delay purchasing cement but not medicines, or else they could die. (bsr/pwn)