People grumble about high medicine prices

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)