The prices of 62 medicines are going down following talks between the government and medicine importers.
Parliamentary Secretary Chris Said, who piloted the talks, said that some of the reductions are coming into force immediately while others will come into effect when current stocks are sold out and replaced.
54 medicines are seeing their prices reduced between 6% and 40% while others will see price cuts of as much as 67%.
Dr Said said inspectors from the Consumers and Competition Division will monitor prices to ensure that all agreed reductions come into force.
“This is only the first step, and further talks will be held over the coming weeks for further reductions in the prices of other medicines in the interest of consumers.
Price reductions percentage |
Number of medicines |
up to 20% |
38 |
21% sa 30% |
11 |
31% sa 40% |
9 |
41% sa 50% |
3 |
> 51% |
1 |
The following is the list of medicines whose prices are being reduced
Medicine Dosage Current price New price Reduction
Adalat® |
Capsule soft 10mg x 90 |
17.00 |
13.00 |
-4.00 |
|
Adalat® LA 30 |
Prolonged release film-coated tablet 30mg x 28 |
17.59 |
13.42 |
-4.17 |
|
|
Tablet 1mg X 30 |
6.01 |
5.71 |
-0.30 |
|
Amaryl® 2mg |
Tablet 2mg X 30 |
9.74 |
7.27 |
-2.47 |
|
Amaryl® 3mg |
Tablet 3mg X 30 |
12.16 |
11.30 |
-0.86 |
|
Amaryl® 4mg |
Tablet 4mg X 30 |
14.40 |
11.87 |
-2.53 |
|
Augmentin |
Film-coated tablets 375mg x 21 |
13.02 |
11.76 |
-1.26 |
|
Avandament
|
500mg/1mg X 112 |
46.87 |
39.50 |
-7.37 |
|
Avandament
|
300mg/2mg X 112 |
93.41 |
77.63 |
-15.78 |
|
Avandia |
film-coated tablets 4mg X 28 |
48.57 |
35.48 |
-13.09 |
|
Benylin® Children's Chesty Coughs
|
Syrup X 125ml |
5.31 |
4.39 |
-0.92 |
|
Benylin® Children's Night Coughs
|
Syrup X 125ml |
5.24 |
4.39 |
-0.85 |
|
Betnovate™ Scalp Application 0.1% w-w Cutaneous Solution |
Scalp application X 100ml |
12.19 |
9.86 |
-2.33 |
|
Canesten Pessaries
|
Passaries 100mg X 6 |
7.55 |
6.21 |
-1.34 |
|
Canesten® |
Cream X 20gr |
4.96 |
4.67 |
-0.29 |
|
Canesten® |
Cutaneous spray solution X 40ml |
9.71 |
7.90 |
-1.81 |
|
Canesten® HC
|
Cream x 30gr |
8.34 |
7.14 |
-1.20 |
|
Ciproxin® |
Tablets 250 mg x 10 |
13.88 |
11.33 |
-2.55 |
|
Ciproxin® |
Tablets 500 mg x 10 |
23.18 |
19.80 |
-3.38 |
|
Cozaar
|
Film-coated Tablets 50mgx 28 |
32.94 |
24.85 |
-8.09 |
|
Cozaar®-COMP 50-12.5 Film Coated Tablets
|
Film-coated Tablets x 28 |
34.92 |
27.63 |
-7.29 |
|
Cutivate® Cream
|
Cream X 15g |
6.68 |
5.09 |
-1.59 |
|
Daktarin™ |
Cutaneous powder X 20gr |
4.82 |
3.42 |
-1.40 |
|
Engerix B |
Suspension for injection X 1 |
26.66 |
23.38 |
-3.28 |
|
Eumovate® Cream
|
Cream x 30g |
4.54 |
4.14 |
-0.40 |
|
Fosamax® Once Weekly 70mg
|
Tablets 70mg X 4 |
47.08 |
32.60 |
-14.48 |
|
Glucobay 100
|
Tablet X 90 |
25.16 |
22.64 |
-2.52 |
|
Glucobay 50
|
Tablet X 90 |
18.45 |
16.97 |
-1.48 |
|
Isotrex |
Gel For topical application X 30g |
14.65 |
14.00 |
-0.65 |
|
Kamadrin |
Tablets 5mg X 100 |
12.49 |
8.71 |
-3.78 |
|
Klacid® |
Granules for oral suspension 125 mg per 5 ml X 60ml |
11.51 |
10.67 |
-0.84 |
|
Klacid® |
Granules for oral suspension 125 mg per 5 ml X 100ml |
16.10 |
15.17 |
-0.93 |
|
Levitra |
Tablets 5mg X 30 |
38.13 |
36.19 |
-1.94 |
|
Levitra |
Tablets10mg X 30 |
43.98 |
39.33 |
-4.65 |
|
Lipitor® |
Film-coated tablets 10mg x 28 |
36.08 |
23.33 |
-12.75 |
|
Lipitor® |
Film-coated tablets 40mg x 28 |
53.46 |
47.95 |
-5.51 |
|
Lipitor® |
Film-coated tablets 20 x 28 |
45.05 |
42.00 |
-3.05 |
|
Locoid Crelo® 0.1%
|
Cutaneous emulsion X 30g |
7.19 |
6.61 |
-0.58 |
|
Locoid Lipocream® 0.1%
|
Cream X 30g |
7.19 |
6.39 |
-0.80 |
|
Locoid® Cream 0.1%
|
Cream X 30g |
7.19 |
6.39 |
-0.80 |
|
Locoid® Scalp Lotion 0.1%
|
Ointment X 30g |
7.19 |
6.04 |
-1.15 |
|
Lustral™ |
Film-coated tablets 100mg X 28
|
50.83 |
48.02 |
-2.81 |
|
Lustral™ |
Film-coated tablets 50 mg X 28
|
31.12 |
29.39 |
-1.73 |
|
Orelox® |
Film-coated tablets 100mg x 10
|
13.29 |
12.41 |
-0.88 |
|
Oropram |
Film-coated tablets 20mg X 28 |
15.72 |
12.59 |
-3.13 |
|
Otosporin Ear Drops
|
Suspension X 5ml |
4.61 |
4.14 |
-0.47 |
|
Primolut N tabs |
Tablets 5mg X 30 |
6.14 |
4.54 |
-1.60 |
|
Proscar |
Film-coated tabelst 5mg X 28 |
45.56 |
30.77 |
-14.79 |
|
Reminyl™ |
Film-coated tablets 12mg X 56 |
119.73 |
108.25 |
-11.48 |
|
Septrin® Paediatric Suspension |
Oral suspension x 100ml |
9.92 |
3.28 |
-6.64 |
|
Seroxat |
Film-coated tablets 20mg X 30 |
21.97 |
19.80 |
-2.17 |
|
Sivacor |
Film-coated tablets 20mgX 30 |
18.63 |
10.71 |
-7.92 |
|
Sivacor |
Film-coated tablets 40mgX 30 |
23.29 |
14.22 |
-9.07 |
|
Yasmin |
Film coated tablets 21 X 3 |
27.49 |
25.59 |
-1.90 |
|
Zantac |
Injection 2ml X 5amps |
11.51 |
7.47 |
-4.04 |
|
Zantac® |
Tablet 150mg X 60 |
28.75 |
19.39 |
-9.36 |
|
Zantac® |
Tablet 300mg X 30 |
27.93 |
19.39 |
-8.40 |
|
Zithromax™ |
Powder for oral suspension 200 mg per 5 ml X 15ml |
11.74 |
11.51 |
-0.23 |
|
Zocor® |
Film-coated Tablets 10mgX 28 |
26.88 |
15.72 |
-11.16 |
|
Zocor® |
Film-coated Tablets 20mgX 28 |
34.94 |
24.77 |
-10.17 |
|
Zocor® |
Film-coated Tablets40mg X 28 |
62.40 |
31.30 |
-31.10 |
|
Zovirax |
Tablets 800mg x 35 |
221.49 |
138.71 |
-82.78 |
The government said a substantial number of importers had acknowledged the government’s insistence that medicine prices had to be brought down to reasonable levels and mede their own proposals.
Parliamentary Secretary Said thanked constituted bodies such as the Chamber of Commerce, the GRTU and the PRIMA group for their assistance.
Further information is available on 21446446 as from tomorrow 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. and on www.doi.gov.mt