Editorial

When will the charade over medicine prices end? As consumers continue to complain about having to pay prices for medicine that are two to three times higher than rates charged in Britain, Italy and elsewhere, the representatives of the importers, distributors and retailers, and the government, appear locked in what looks like an enigmatic situation, at least insofar as the public is concerned. The latest missive that comes from the importers' representatives lays the blame squarely on the government for the stalemate but consumers are now getting increasingly exasperated by their arguments and, even more so, by the way the government has been handling the problem.

Consumers keep reporting cases that show quite clearly they are paying through their nose for certain medicines, a matter that ought to have led to direct action by whoever is directly concerned to ensure that the consumer is not fleeced in this manner. However, instead of quick action, the consumer is faced with arrogance from the importers and dithering from the government.

This is not an issue over prices of tangerines, or Christmas hampers, but of medicine prescribed for illnesses. The matter ought therefore to be considered in a completely different light from that over prices of non-essential commodities. But it looks as if this is not justification enough for whoever is responsible to grapple with the problem to stop dithering and do whatever is necessary to bring the situation under control. For the truth is that the "cowboys", or, as they have now been called, the "unbridled horses", in the sector have not been checked. It is by all accounts an unacceptable situation.

The latest twist to the long-running charade is that, according to the healthcare business section of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Enterprise, if the price monitoring committee set up to ensure fair pricing for medicines was working properly it would have protected the public, importers and distributors. So, why is the committee not working properly? Again, according to the Chamber's section, the government is fully aware of the reasons for this but no one is telling the consumer what they are. This is truly preposterous.

The section is urging the government to see to it that existing obstacles are eliminated "if it really and truly wants" to resolve the issue. It also feels that it is the government's duty to explain to the public, unequivocally, why the price monitoring committee is not functioning as it should. With very good reason, all this is bound to anger consumers even further. Who, exactly, is responsible to ensure that the "workable formula" that is said to have been agreed upon by all members of the price monitoring committee does in fact work smoothly?

At the same time, the government has been threatening the sector that it would turn the voluntary mechanism into a mandatory one unless an alternative system is introduced. It has now gone a step further as it is also considering the possibility of setting up reference pharmacies that will sell medicines it would import itself, something the importers will resist.

Consumers have no mind for all this. They are telling the importers, distributors, retailers, and the government, that enough is enough. Stop squabbling and sort out the problem now. It is a reflection of serious weaknesses on the part of the government if the problem boils down to inability to control the "cowboys" or the "unbridled horses".