Sabry al-Tawila, head of the medicine industry commission at the Pharmacists' Syndicate, has submitted a list of medicines that have become cheaper globally due to a drop in raw material prices.
Presenting the list to the Central Administration of Pharmaceutical Affairs, Tawila called on the Health Ministry to make pharmaceutical companies reduce their prices accordingly.
According to Tawila, the producers of some varieties of medicine have the right to fix the price of their products for 20 years, after which point the prices of these medicines should be reduced by 20 percent.
He expressed the need for the Pharmacists' Syndicate to compile an inventory of these medicines that have passed the 20-year marker, so that the Health Ministry can enforce the due reduction of their prices.
The chairman of the Health Ministry's pricing committee, Rasha Ziada, said that the ministry has not yet received any such lists from the Pharmacists' Syndicate, but confirmed that the Central Administration of Pharmaceutical Affairs are in the process of preparing one.
The Cabinet issued two decisions on May 16 and May 26 adding 20 percent to the price of all drugs that previously cost less than LE30.
The Minister of Health and Population Ahmed Emad Eddin announced on Thursday the launch of a new smartphone e-application through which citizens can easily access the latest amendments to drug prices.
The Central Administration for Pharmaceutical Affairs confirmed that the prices of drugs could be found on the list submitted to the Pharmacists Syndicate, the list of prices published on the central administration's website, or on the new e-application announced Thursday, the statement said.
The Central Administration thanked honest pharmacists who cooperate with the ministry and commit to the official prices.
It also warned pharmaceutical companies and pharmacies against not abiding by the new prices announced by the government, saying such actions create imbalance in the pharmaceutical market.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
