Page 9 - export 08

Export Marketing
NO 8 - Oct 08 2021

N. Access to essential drugs: er report noted that 69 per cent of paracetamol tablets and 80
Although officially 80% of population has access to affordable percent of ampicillin capsules produced by small companies were
essential drugs, there is plenty of evidence of a scarcity of es- of substandard quality. Good manufacturing practice (GMP) is a
sential drugs in government healthcare facilities. One study major criterion to maintain standard quality in drugs, and it was
conducted in four district hospitals and one medical college hos- one of the principal objectives of the NDP to ensure standard
pital showed that only eight per cent of patients received the manufacturing practices for drug manufacturers. But there are
prescribed medicines from these facilities. In another report, some 265 pharmaceutical companies in Bangladesh that do not
two major hospitals in the capital city of Dhaka were operating follow or comply with GMP. It is widely alleged that adulteration
without essential medicines for eight consecutive weeks. There flourishes in the country becauseof poor government vigilance
are countless such incidents relating to the supply of essential and supervision over drug manufacturers and sellers. Unfortu-
medicines in Bangladesh. In most such cases, government offi- nately, a section of corrupt physicians and government officials
cials and health professionals are responsible for the shortage as is involved in these under hand dealings. The government states
they often sell government-supplied drugs to local drug stores that it has limited manpower and facilities to cope with the coun-
instead of dispensing them to poor patients. The government try’s fast expanding pharmaceuticals sector. In fact, the regula-
must be cognizant of this fact, but rarely takes any action. tory authorizes have given scant attention to quality matters in
Bangladesh.
O. Quality of available drugs:
Only 20 to 25 top pharmaceutical companies among the 300 P. Lack of control over drug prices:
produce drugs of standard quality. Reports show that numer- In Bangladesh the maximum retail price (MRP) of every essential
ous small companies’ market substandard drugs in the country. drug is fixed by the Directorate of Drug Administration (DDA);
Fake or substandard medicines, including lifesaving ones, with for all other drugs the DDA endorses the companies’ quoted
an estimated worth of USD 150million per year, are flooding the prices. Drug prices are quite highin Bangladesh in comparison to
domestic market. In its annual testing in 2004, the government neighboring countries. Thedrugs control authority is apparently
laboratory detected 300 counterfeit or very poor-quality drugs reluctant to negotiate with the companies to fix prices. The reg-
out of 5,000 drug samples. A recent assay involving 15 brands ulatory authorities have virtually no control over drug prices in
of ciprofloxacin showed that nearly 50% of samples contained Bangladesh. Indiscriminate pricing can be observed in all ther-
less than the specified amounts of the active ingredient. Anoth- apeutic classes of drugs. For example, prices of various cipro-

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