Is medicine now a luxury?

By Dann Okoth

Boxed in by the soaring cost of living many Kenyans are forced to dig deeper into their pockets to afford basic commodities and services.

But the situation could get even worse following a steady rise in cost of medical care a scenario that has been compounded by sub-standard and fake medicines.

Pharmaceutical industry sources revealed that the cost of branded prescription medicine has risen by up to 33 per cent in recent times.

"The steep rise in cost of medicine, the sources say, has been made worse by the global financial crisis and general inflation in the country.

The effects is that importers, manufacturers and distributors of such medicines have been forced to revise their prices upwards to break even," explains Charles Lenjo, a pharmaceutical technologist.

Over-the-counter

He adds: "Inflation has seen the shilling lose ground against the major world currencies making importation of drugs or raw materials more expensive. The high cost is eventually passed on to the consumer," he says.

But it is the common man that has been affected more since the increases are reflected mainly on over-the-counter non-prescription medicines used by the poor.

"The poor prefer to buy drugs over-the-counter as opposed to consulting a doctor which is expensive," he says.

Some of the non-prescription medicines that have been affected include Insacol, a colic medicine used for treating nose blockage in infants.

The drug used to cost Sh400 but it now goes for Sh630. Benyline cough syrup has also risen from Sh200 to Sh280.

Piriton syrup, which used to go for Sh180 is now Sh230 even as the industry reported major price shifts in most branded medicines. These include Amoxil an antibiotic used to cure a range of ailments, which has gone up by Sh7 to Sh27 a capsule. The Losec drug for treating ulcers has also gone up, from Sh157 per 20mg from Sh120.

But according to other sources, the prices of vital medicines for treating diseases such as malaria tuberculosis and diarrhoea have also risen considerably.

But more worrying is the fact the sub-standard medicines have infiltrated the market thereby compounding the situation for the consumers.

According to Dr Larry Kamamia, the Regional Director of Dafra Pharma pharmaceutical company, the industry is making massive losses due to counterfeits.

"The industry has a value of Sh20 billion but loses up to 30 per cent of its market share to fakes," he says.

He blames lax regulatory mechanisms and Kenya’s porous borders for the infiltration of the counterfeit drugs into the market.

He says such drugs push the cost of healthcare for Kenyans because consumers do not get quality for their money.

But even the so-called generic medicines have been faulted because of their poor quality.

The generic drugs are hailed as the better option for the poor who cannot afford original medicines because much as they come cheap, their quality, composition and efficacy rival that of original medicines.

Generic drugs

But according to Lenjo most of the generic drugs in the market do not pass the quality test therefore are not only expensive in the long run but also dangerous to consumers.

"Our quality monitoring systems are suspect and the quality verification processes are tainted with corruption a fact that has led to the infiltration of fake drugs into the market," he says.

A pediatrician at a leading children’s hospital that most drugs including branded medicine do not meet the set standards.

"We are frustrated that even the measurements of some of the respected brands is often not up to date. A drug, which is supposed to last a week, for instance runs out within three days.

Patients have complained and we have raised this issue many times with the authorities," says the doctor who could not be named due to the gravity of the matter.

But Lenjo challenges the Pharmacy and Poisons Board to get its act together to stop the menace and save Kenyans from the harmful effects of such products.

 

 

Read all about: medical care Pharmaceutical industry Generic drugs Pharmacy and Poisons Board

 

 

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