FIFTEEN MORE ESSENTIAL DRUGS TO COME UNDER PRICING FORMULA

Speaking at a felicitation ceremony to mark his appointment as a Vice President of the World Health Organization (WHO) at the Nelum Pokuna Performing Arts Theatre last afternoon, Minister Senaratne said the new pricing formula for 15 essential drugs will bring further relief to patients who need to purchase drugs for ailments such as heart disease, diabetes, fever, kidney and respiratory infections on a regular basis.

Minister Senaratne added that the Health Ministry decided on a pricing formula for 47 essential drugs prescribed by doctors for patients with heart disease as well as diabetics while pain killers too had been included in the list of drugs that need to be purchased regularly by patients.

For instance, the price of a 5 mg tablet of Amlodipine will come down to Rs. 15.32 from the current price of Rs. 21 and a 50 mg Losartan tablet will now be sold at Rs. 10.30 significantly lower than the earlier price which was Rs. 28.00.

Among the other drugs that have been reduced are Atorvastantin to Rs. 17.63 from RS. 41.00, Glopidogrel to Rs. 15.27 from Rs. 20.50, Clopidogrel to Rs. 15.27 from Rs. 20.50, Metformin 500 mg to Rs. 10.00 from Rs.11.25 and Gliclanzide 80 mg to Rs. 9.28 from Rs. 19.00.

“This formula is only a model that will be used to prepare the new drug prices. Based on the above formula, an expenditure for drugs for a heart patient or a diabetic patient will come down to Rs. 79.05 from Rs. 159.50 under the old prices. Therefore the patient’s monthly expenditure for drugs will come down to Rs. 2371.50 from Rs. 4,785.00, a significant saving,” Minister Senaratne said.