43 private hospitals miss deadline for reporting drug prices

By The Nation

 

 

The Internal Trade Department will summon 43 private hospital to testify after they failed to meet a deadline to report their drug price lists to the department.

 

Wichai Photchanakij, director general of the department, said 43 out of 353 private hospitals nationwide failed to meet the July 31 deadline.

 

He said the committee controlling the median prices for goods and services issued order No 52 requiring that hospitals report their lists of the medications they are buying and selling, along with their prices, to the Internal Trade Department within July 31.

 

Wichai said the department is now in the process of sending summons orders to the 43 hospitals to explain why they have not produced the required reports.

 

Wichai said the department is empowered under the 1999 Goods and Services’ Prices Act.

 

He said if the 43 hospitals, of large, medium and small sizes, ignore the summons, their management could face a jail term of three months, a fine of no more than Bt5,000, or both.

 

He said a hospital that refuses to display a list of the price it charges for medications will be subject to a jail term of no longer than one year, a fine of no more than Bt20,000, or both. The management would also be subject to a daily fine of Bt2,000 until the price list is declared.

 

Wichai said the department would publish the price lists on its website and compile QR codes for hospitals to paste on their boards or in public spots for patients to compare prices lists.

 

Sakon Waranyu, chairman of the Trade Competition Commission, said the commission is studying the business structures of all hospitals nationwide to see whether certain hospitals are colluding to create unfair competitions.

 

If certain hospitals are found to be colluding to fix prices of medication or medical services to cause damage to their rivals, they will be deemed as violating the Trade Competition Act of 2017 and fined at the rate of 10 per cent of the damage caused, Sakon said.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30374468

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-08-08

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11 minutes ago, webfact said:

He said a hospital that refuses to display a list of the price it charges for medications will be subject to a jail term 

Put whole damn building behind bars!

Yeah, B500 paracetamol 10 tablets. I wouldn't send that in either. It's getting worse fast.

Do they have to submit their "farang with medical insurance card" price list too?

Name and Shame the Hospitals concerned AND their Management !!

57 minutes ago, webfact said:

a hospital that refuses to display a list of the price it charges for medications will be subject to a jail term of no longer than one year

Better hurry and build larger prison cells now to hold all these hospitals.

This is a damn lie.  Most hospitals are charging outrageous prices and the government is not doing a damn thing about.  Just Monday I was admitted to a private hospital in Ratchaburi and was given Urea Cream 10% 35 gm.  My bill at discharged showed I paid 197 baht.  I just went to the pharmacy and paid 110 baht for the same item.

C

Where can we go (on the internet I mean) to review the lists of meds and prices of the ones that DID report according to law?

Because they don't give a fuuuuuuuuu and will continue to not give a fuuuuuuuuuuuuu.

 

Doesn't the government know who they are and who owns them? ????

Displays typical Thai culture for following their own laws, they dont want to.

20.000 baht fine ...make that 200.000 baht per day, but hey, they only have to ripp off one farang for that anyway

They MUST increase those puny fines generally for breaking or ignoring the law. Most businesses and rich lawbreakers just laugh at the penalty. If you put it at 100,000bt instead, you might get a better response. After all, the whole point of penalties is to dissuade bad behavior, isn’t it.

4 hours ago, rabas said:

Yeah, B500 paracetamol 10 tablets. I wouldn't send that in either. It's getting worse fast.

I agree, a ridiculous price. Go to any Pharmacy counter at a supermarket and you can buy 100 for around 40 baht.

Lawlessness on( over priced) steroids ....

Just shows the contemt

With modern tech, putting together a pricing audit as such, is very easy to to, but this is Thailand, so it comes as no surprise hospitals have not submitted respective reports on time. No doubt the books have been, will be or are being cooked with fat cats licking up as.much double cream.as possible whilst patients suffer. Corruption springs to mind. Typical.Thai mind set.

It's the same as any Law, No one and nobody gives a flying fox what the laws are ,they will keep on doing whatever they want.

The manila envelopes were too thin still ......... 

10 hours ago, rabas said:

Yeah, B500 paracetamol 10 tablets. I wouldn't send that in either. It's getting worse fast.

My wife had an overnight visit a couple of years and for one of her meds, Tylenol they wanted her to pay 18 thb per tablet.

 

I can buy them in any pharmacy for 100 thb a tub of 100.

 

I went berswork and blew my top, shouting that I had 8,000 thb on me and if that wasn't enough I was leaving without her and that the hospital could do what they liked about the bill.

 

After about 10 minutes of my very loud ranting (during which my wife hid and disowned me), the hospital and I came to an agreement.

 

I would pay 8,000 thb for the overnight stay etc and they wrote of the medicine bill.

 

That worked and my wife still loves me (I think) but she understands that I don't take any crap from a man wearing a white coat calling himself a doctor.

Nothing will be done about it. It’s a waste even discussing it.

9 hours ago, Mango Bob said:

This is a damn lie.  Most hospitals are charging outrageous prices and the government is not doing a damn thing about.  Just Monday I was admitted to a private hospital in Ratchaburi and was given Urea Cream 10% 35 gm.  My bill at discharged showed I paid 197 baht.  I just went to the pharmacy and paid 110 baht for the same item.

C

I was just in a couple of weeks ago. They wanted almost 7,500 for tablets (half of which was not necessary) that I got for about 1700 at the local pharmacy!!

It's all about greed. Overcharging the sick is.... pretty sick.

 

Money and medicine are a bad mix. At least the Dept of Trade is trying to do something about it, but hospitals make so much money they will just laugh at the small fines and carry on as before.

16 hours ago, trainman34014 said:

Name and Shame the Hospitals concerned AND their Management !!

Here's one, Sirikit Naval Medical Center charges a foreigner double thus 100% more.

Tell you right in your face "farang pay double"

Yes this is a hospital.

These are Millions of baht making operations based on the story you got a suppose 1 year and 20,000 baht fine. Now they have not met the deadline or refuse they are being called to the mat as to why? Do the math here and look in the mirror as to why nothing is being done on both ends!