Prices of the identical generic drugs vary considerably from manufacturer to manufacturer in the country due to a lack of government oversight regarding drug pricing.
Public health experts have said that while slight price variations may be expected due to production costs and other factors, sharp differences indicate either overpricing or compromised quality.
Dhaka University鈥檚 Institute of Health Economics professor Syed Abdul Hamid emphasised that drug quality should never be compromised, as medicines are life-saving commodities.
鈥楢 huge price gap is unacceptable and results from regulatory failure,鈥� he said.
鈥楶harmaceutical companies may either supply lower-quality products or arbitrarily set high prices. The government must intervene because medicines are not a typical consumer product over which buyers can negotiate prices,鈥� he said.
According to Directorate General of Drug Administration director Md Ashraf Hossain, the government sets the maximum prices for 117 essential drug items.
The prices of all other medicines are determined based on company proposals, as the existing regulations do not cover them, he said.
Md Zakir Hossain, secretary general of the Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries and managing director of Delta Pharma Ltd, pointed out that pricing in the pharmaceutical industry was influenced by multiple factors despite the use of the same raw materials.
A market analysis reveals that the identical generic drugs with the same dosage are often sold at double the price in some cases.
For instance, Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd鈥檚 Atorvastatin Calcium 20mg tablets cost Tk 20 apiece, while Delta Pharma sells the same drug under the brand name ATV for Tk聽10 apiece.
Metformin Hydrochloride, which is widely prescribed for diabetes, varies in price from Tk聽2.50 to Tk聽6 a tablet. Beximco Pharma鈥檚 Informet 500mg is priced at Tk聽3, Aristopharma鈥檚 Glucomet at Tk聽6, Gonoshasthaya Pharmaceuticals鈥� G-Metformin at Tk聽2.50, Renata鈥檚 Bigmet at Tk 4 and Square Pharmaceuticals鈥� Comet at Tk聽5.
Painkiller Naproxen Sodium also shows the similar price differences. A 500mg Nupralgin tablet from Ibn Sina Pharmaceuticals Ltd costs Tk聽10, whereas Radiant Pharmaceuticals Ltd sells Naprosyn 500mg at Tk聽16 a tablet.
BAPI president Abdul Muktadir, also the managing director of Incepta Pharmaceuticals, observed that pharmaceutical product pricing depended on various factors such as quality, investment and research.
鈥楧ifferent companies operate differently. Some gain trust by ensuring higher-quality production. In an open market economy, pricing diversity is common, and consumers have the option to select their preferred brand,鈥� he said.
He further said that while some pharmaceutical factories were set up with an investment of Tk聽1.5 crore, others spent Tk聽10 crore just on their ventilation systems.
鈥極ver the years, the industry has made significant advancements in drug formulation. Some companies have adapted to the progress, while others have not, leading to price variations,鈥� he said.
Antibiotic Ciprofloxacin generic drug prices vary considerably. Apollo Pharma鈥檚 Cipro brand 500mg tablet price is Tk聽10 apiece while Labaid Pharmaceutical sells the medicine for Tk聽17.50 a tablet.
The prices of Fexofenadine, an antihistamine medicine that helps with the symptoms of allergies, also varies. Synovia Pharma PLC sells its brand, 120mg Telfast, for Tk聽10 apiece while United Pharmaceuticals Ltd markets its brand, Adifex, at Tk 6:50 apiece.
DGDA director Md Ashraf Hossain added that medicine prices depended on individual company policies.
鈥楥ompanies propose prices based on their production costs, and the DGDA approves them. Many companies initially sell products at lower prices to capture the market and later raise prices once their products gain reputation,鈥� he said.
Under the current system, the DGDA allows a 15-per cent profit margin on production costs. As different companies have different production expenses, this results in varying prices for the same generic medicines, Ashraf said.
Professor Syed Abdul Hamid urged the government to strictly monitor drug pricing on the basis of a structured formula.
鈥楥urrently, only 117 drug items are regulated under the Bangladesh Drug Policy of 1982. The government should expand its regulatory framework to cover all medicines under a comprehensive pricing authority capable of monitoring the market effectively,鈥� he suggested.
He recommended establishing a National Authority for Pharmaceutical Pricing to oversee pricing decisions and prevent arbitrary cost variations.
The current system allows pharmaceutical companies to set their own prices and seek DGDA approval mainly for business purposes.
Without stricter regulations, the wide price differences will continue to affect consumers, raising concerns about affordability and quality in the country鈥檚 healthcare sector, Abdul Hamid said.
