MUSCAT, JULY 17 - Bringing more transparency to the healthcare system in the Sultanate, the ministry of health has reiterated that people have the right to cross check the prices of the medicine. In a statement on Wednesday, the ministry said that pharmacies are mandated to have the official price list with them so that people can compare the prices in the event of any discrepancy. “All the citizens and residents have the right to confirm the ratified price of medicines by comparing the price on the drug bottle with the price list available in the pharmacy”, the statement said.
STRICT POLICY
The statement was issued following a meeting of the Technical Committee of Pharmaceutical Companies and their Products Registration and Drug Pricing held on Wednesday. The meeting was chaired by Director-General of Pharmaceutical Affairs and Control Dr Mohammed Hamdan al Rubaie. “If any disparity is spotted, people can inform the ministry of health call centre and the DG will take the necessary action,” the statement said. The Ministry of Health has a strict pricing policy that fixes the prices of all drugs. The ministry updates the price list on its website regularly and the same list is available with the pharmacies.
REDUCTION OF PRICES
The directorate monitors the prices in all pharmacies through regular inspections in association with the Directorate General of Health Services. The meeting discussed the reduction of prices of 16 pharmaceutical products, registration of six new pharmaceutical companies, and pricing and registration applications of 22 pharmaceutical products. A pharmacist in Ruwi said that medicines are sold as per the price fixed by the ministry. “Information on the price of a drug is available on its cover and the bill. Buyer can cross check the prices with the official list available with us.”
In case of any price change initiated by the ministry, the pharmacies follow it, he said.
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