Reza Mahmud :
Pharmaceutical companies in Bangladesh have been engaging in unethical practices, resulting in significant repercussions for public health.
These practices include lavish gifting to physicians, hospitals, clinics, diagnostic centres, and government officials, leading to inflated medicine prices and compromised quality.
Public health experts have noted that many physicians have failed to maintain professional integrity, succumbing to the pressures imposed by pharmaceutical companies.
These companies aggressively target not only individual doctors but also medical institutions and their personnel with enticing gifts and incentives.
This pervasive influence of pharmaceutical companies has detrimental effects on the medical sector.
It undermines the dignity and professionalism of physicians while also compromising the quality of medicines.
Instead of allocating resources towards research and development to enhance the quality of medicine, these companies prioritise extravagant gifts and incentives.
Professor Dr. Be-Nazir Ahmed, former Line Director for Communicable Disease Control at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, told this correspondent, “Pharmaceutical companies offer physicians a range of attractive items such as refrigerators, televisions, luxury mobile phone sets, air tickets, and even foreign trips.
These offerings are made with the explicit intention of influencing doctors to prescribe specific medications to patients, irrespective of their medical necessity.”
Dr. Be-Nazir Ahmed emphasises that such practices incentivize doctors to prioritise prescribing medicines associated with gifts rather than those best suited to patient needs. This unethical behaviour erodes public trust in the medical profession and compromises patient care.
Dr. Lenin Chowdhury told the New Nation,” It is a common practice in hospitals and clinics where individuals photograph prescriptions after patients leave the doctor’s chamber. These photos are then used by pharmaceutical companies to pressure doctors into prescribing their medications.”
In response to concerns about rising drug prices, S. M. Shafiuzzaman, Secretary General of the Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries (BAPI) and MD of Hudson Pharmaceuticals Ltd., pointed out the challenges faced by drug manufacturers due to fluctuations in the dollar price.
He attributed unreasonable price hikes to the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA).
Nurul Alam, a recently retired spokesperson for the DGDA, clarified that only 117 essential drugs have controlled prices set by the government.
He explained that manufacturers have the right to negotiate with the government for price increases on other medications based on factors such as raw material costs.
Alam suggested expanding the list of controlled medicines to align more closely with international standards, which could benefit the public.
However, he emphasised the need for stricter monitoring to ensure the quality and standard of all medicines available in the local market, given the large number of medications produced in Bangladesh.
Public health experts said in most cases, the physicians have failed to uphold their profession’s dignity and assist the pharmaceutical companies’ unethical businesses.
The pharmacy owner’s remarks illustrate the practical implications of medicine price hikes on the ground.
Salesmen struggle to keep track of the frequent price changes, leading to inconsistencies in pricing at the retail level.
Specific examples of price increases for various medications, such as Biocal for calcium deficits and drugs for acidity problems like Osaltil-50 and Sergel-40 tablets, highlight the financial burden faced by patients.
Additionally, the rising prices of medications like Ketifen Syrup, Linamet, Gavilac tablets, Gaviflux tablets, Ovacal-D, Neuro-B, Napa syrup, Zimex, and Amodis further exacerbate the situation for individuals seeking essential healthcare.
Nasir Uddin, a diabetes patient from the Mirpur area, told The New Nation that he has become helpless to buy diabetes medicines as the prices have increased.
