Commerce Min ready to control price of home COVID-19 tests

[Jonathan Fairfield]

 

BANGKOK (NNT) - The Ministry of Commerce has issued an assurance that it is ready to oversee the price of Antigen Test Kits for COVID-19, but is awaiting a Ministry of Public Health decision on whether or not they need to be price-controlled.

 

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce Jurin Laksanawisit, stated that the Ministry of Public Health must decide on the pricing of COVID-19 at-home tests, as there is currently a choice of kits of varying quality. All available options must be reviewed to avoid an impact on users as well as unnecessarily blocking imports. Currently, only one company is able to undertake the tests in Thailand. The minister mentioned nonetheless, that if price controls need to to be instigated, his office is ready to act.

 

The DPM noted that while the Ministry of Public Health has given its approval to the use of Antigen Test Kits, such tools are still pending Food and Drug Administration (FDA) registration. The Commerce Ministry is to recommend the Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO) spearhead the importation of the test kits, so as to set a reference point for prices, while the National Health Security Office (NHSO) distributes the tests free of charge to speed up their dispersal.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2021-07-18

 

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[ThailandRyan]

Yes, control it and make it free if you want people to use them as desired.  If not then YMMV Government.

[Nanaplaza666]

They promise to controle the pricing but first they have to ask mr A , so my geuss is it will be controled 1000%  but with a bit of commition on the price for mr A's wallet . What's your geuss ???? 

[KhunBENQ]

Approximate...

Numbers seen: 300 to 500 Baht? (7.80 to 13 Euro).

Prices in German drugstores 0.70 to 1 Euro.

[jojothai]

My guess is that they are only starting this because somebody has spotted an opportunity.
$$$$.

 Why the delay when they have been saying that its being done. Why not do it? do it?? do it.???
Just like importing Moderna vaccine.
Could it be months until they agree how much they cost.
And the other most important details are (a)greed.
 

Edited July 18, 2021 by jojothai
correction

[RichardColeman]

Will be a hard sell if the price is equal to a case of Chang

[internationalism]

they have already put cap 100b several days ago.

But this can be easily reversed to 300-400b or any other figure drown from hat.

Just of a matter of smaller or bigger mark up from the wholesale 30b

[rabas]

2 hours ago, Nanaplaza666 said:

They promise to controle the pricing but first they have to ask mr A , so my geuss is it will be controled 1000%  but with a bit of commition on the price for mr A's wallet . What's your geuss ???? 

Mr. A will alot 10 units/day to Farangs.

[MrJ2U]

8 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Currently, only one company is able to undertake the tests in Thailand. The minister mentioned nonetheless, that if price controls need to to be instigated, his office is ready to act

Monopolies always lead to higher prices.

Vaccines and tests are free in most countries.  Having to pay for them is going to discourage the average Thai to purchase tests.  

[Dogmatix]

These antigen tests are not very accurate when used at home.  Lateral flow tests, as in the UK, are the way to go.

[Trip Hop]

5 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

Approximate...

Numbers seen: 300 to 500 Baht? (7.80 to 13 Euro).

Prices in German drugstores 0.70 to 1 Euro.

Unless the German government are subsidising the cost to the public, for 1€ you won’t be getting a very good test? 
 

Avacta in the UK have recently released a LFT which is 99% accurate when detecting people in the infectious period of the virus. It is approved in both the UK and EU but currently costs £5 each wholesale to businesses through their distributor as long as buy at least 200 at a time. Therefore about 300B would be about right for a test of this standard?

[KhunBENQ]

11 minutes ago, Trip Hop said:

Unless the German government are subsidising the cost to the public, for 1€ you won’t be getting a very good test? 

I don't know whether it is subsidized (not read/heard).

The test are used in the millions (swab test, stick up the nose).

 

[Trip Hop]

2 hours ago, Dogmatix said:

These antigen tests are not very accurate when used at home.  Lateral flow tests, as in the UK, are the way to go.

These antigen tests are LFTs. The current ones being used in the UK are Chinese Innova brand repackaged by the government, are a pile of <deleted> and have recently received a damning report by the FDA in the US. They rely on a swab from the upper nasal cavity and back of throat similar to a PCR. Due to this fact, it is very hard to collect a correct sample without a professional help due to the discomfort and therefore are not really any good for self testing as people simply will not put themselves through the discomfort on a regular, possible daily basis. I know as I’ve had to do enough of them for work and your upper nose cavity stings for a day or two after. 
 

Mologic and Avacta in the UK have both produced highly accurate LFTs which use a swab from the lower nasal cavity and hence are a lot easier and more comfortable to use. For some reason though, the UK government don’t seem to think that the UK public deserve the extra cost though? Avacta did announce that they were in talks regarding the manufacture of the tests under license somewhere in the Far East, so you may just get lucky?

[sucher]

The 4 Pharmacies i checked today, 380 - 400 Baht. Pattaya 

[Lingba]

Control price?...<deleted>!..they should be free

[hotchilli]

On 7/18/2021 at 7:38 AM, Jonathan Fairfield said:

The Ministry of Commerce has issued an assurance that it is ready to oversee the price of Antigen Test Kits for COVID-19, but is awaiting a Ministry of Public Health decision on whether or not they need to be price-controlled.

I'm sure they will.... money to be made form the sale or they'll just block it like the vaccines.

[clivebaxter]

They cannot even enforce the price of lottery tickets, this will be the same