Moh Refutes Reports About The Increase In Prices Of Medicines

Minister of Health Dr Jamal Al-Harbi has refuted rumors spread on various media platforms about the increase in prices of medicines, stressing that Kuwait remains committed to the decision of the Supreme Council of Health Ministers in GCC countries to standardize the cost of importing medicines.

In response to the questions of MP Saleh Ashour on the implementation of the decision of the Supreme Council of Health Ministers in GCC countries, Al-Harbi explained the decision states unification of the importing price (CIF — cost, insurance, freight) of medicines in the GCC by using one currency and adopting the approved import cost in Saudi Arabia because it is the cheapest CIF in most cases.

He said that in the event the medicine is registered in any of the member-states or the lower price is considered, Kuwait and the rest of the GCC countries will implement the CIF (cost of exporting medicines including insurance and shipping) which was adopted in the Gulf in 2015 according to the treatment groups specified by the Gulf Committee for Standardization of Medicines.

He asserted the information spread on various media platforms is incorrect, indicating it is not true that a decision has been taken to increase prices of some medicines by 45 percent. In fact, the prices of 1,034 medicines published in ‘Kuwait Today’ on June 21, 2017 were reduced as per the agreement of GCC countries, he added.

■ He reiterated there is no intention to increase the prices of medicines or food supplements. On the contrary, the percentage of profitability has been reduced based on several ministerial decisions as follows:

■ Ministerial Decree No. 26/1986 on determining acceptable profit — not more than 70 percent of the importing cost (CIF) including delivery by land, sea and air.

■ Ministerial Decision No. 56/2010 dated 29/3/2010 on revising the percentage to be 50 percent of the importing cost (CIF) including delivery by land, sea and air.

■ Ministerial Decree No. 42/ 2013 issued on Feb 12, 2013 on reducing profitability percentage by 45 percent which will be added to the CIF standard price in the Gulf.

In an unrelated issue, Al-Harbi denied the purported plan of the ministry to hire a lawyer to recover losses from the Health Office of Kuwait in Frankfurt, Germany. He appealed to news websites and other media outlets to verify information prior to publication of any report to avoid misleading the public.

 

SOURCE : ARABTIMES

 

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