Wealthy Countries Should Pay More For Lifesaving Drugs: Mahidol Awardee

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Wealthy countries should pay more for lifesaving drugs: Mahidol Awardee

PONGPHON SARNSAMAK

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- Rich countries should pay more for new drugs and poor countries less - to enable pharmaceutical firms to help people in developing countries get easier access to life-saving drugs, according to one recipient of this year's Prince Mahidol Award.

"In principle, it is not easy to do but I believe that we need to do that - the richest countries should pay more for new drugs," Sir Michael Rawlins, founding chairman of Britain's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), said yesterday.

He spoke at a press conference organised by the Prince Mahidol Award Foundation at Mahidol University's Faculty of Medicine at Siriraj Hospital.

Rawlins, the recipient of the award in the field of medicine, will received the prestigious honour along with Dr Uche Veronica Amazigo, former director of the World Health Organisation's African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control, from Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. The Princess was designated by His Majesty the King to preside over the ceremony for the Prince Mahidol Award 2012 at the Chakri Throne Hall today. Each awardee will receive a medal, a certificate and close to Bt3 million (US$100,000).

Rawlins is seen as a pioneer in use of scientific and clinical-based evidence to evaluate the efficiency and worthiness of drugs, medical procedures and instruments before they are implemented.

His contribution helped patients achieve the highest attainable standard of healthcare and cost efficiency throughout the United Kingdom. Moreover, key elements of NICE have had a significant impact on healthcare policy and been adopted by various countries including Thailand.

For Rawlins, a balance has to be sought between a patient's ability to access life-saving drugs and drug makers' profits. He said even though "Big Pharma" needs to make money when introducing a new drug into the market, they must also think about moral principles and take responsibility to help people access essential medicine.

He gave an example of a UK drug-maker that distributed a large amount of medicine to treat Onchocerciasis in Africa free of charge to save millions of lives. But to do that, drug companies must make significant profit before they will contribute to society.

In the UK, he said there was no mechanism to directly control the price of drugs but health agencies such as NICE would negotiate with drug-makers to cut the cost of medicine to a satisfactory level.

However, negotiations over drug prices alone would not help people, especially those living in remote areas, get access to medicines.

Amazigo said the participation of communities to design a drug distribution system would be key in helping to save people from severe illnesses like Onchocerciasis, or "river blindness".

-- The Nation 2013-01-30

[noitom]

Dem dere rich keep gettin' richer all over Thailand.

[belg]

we all pay enough tax in our home countries that pharma should never been turned private as you see the excesses what they can charge for a bottle of headache pills... wasn't there a bill , sponsored by pharma industry in the US, that openly bribed congressman with each hundreds of thousands of dollars, to sign a bill that the pharma industry to start to charge whatever they wanted for a pill ?

[swifty5x5]

It's not the countries that pay for the drugs it's the people. Poor people in wealthy countries also can not afford expensive drugs. A lot of African countries are rich in oil and minerals but people do not get any monies from this because of corrupt governments.

I think that all health care and medical drugs should be free as health is a basic human right.

[Katipo]

It's not the countries that pay for the drugs it's the people. Poor people in wealthy countries also can not afford expensive drugs. A lot of African countries are rich in oil and minerals but people do not get any monies from this because of corrupt governments.

I think that all health care and medical drugs should be free as health is a basic human right.

Agreed. And if a country is poor due to corruption of those who lead it, should wealthy countries foot the bill?

[laislica]

Nah, stay away from medics - they will kill you.

Most of the "Drugs" they peddle only suppress the symptoms, for a while at least.

Then you need to buy more pills for the next phase of your illness.

Look what the "Authorities" do to anyone who finds a cure for a profitable illness - they stomp on them hard.

The big companies train the doctors and only allow them to practice if they push the BigPharma's drugs.

Graft and corruption at all levels of all governments - world wide.

See the revolving door between the Government regulatory bodies and the big companies.

[scotto]

No!why should other countries foot the bill or should i say

other people foot the bill these poorer countries already

get millions in aid every year

[caykay]

I fail to see how I should be responsible to pay for the effects of corruption that occurs in third world governments. That's why people are "poor" compared to the western middle class; they make themselves poor by stealing from each other.

Edited January 30, 2013 by caykay

[caykay]

It's not the countries that pay for the drugs it's the people. Poor people in wealthy countries also can not afford expensive drugs. A lot of African countries are rich in oil and minerals but people do not get any monies from this because of corrupt governments.

I think that all health care and medical drugs should be free as health is a basic human right.

A basic human right that costs money. So not very basic, or human.

[GarryP]

It's not the countries that pay for the drugs it's the people. Poor people in wealthy countries also can not afford expensive drugs. A lot of African countries are rich in oil and minerals but people do not get any monies from this because of corrupt governments.

I think that all health care and medical drugs should be free as health is a basic human right.

So who pays for R&D? Who pays the pharamceutical industry? The government pays? With what? Your taxes, which would have to be increased to cover costs?

Okay. Big Pharma stinks. I think most people could agree with that. It over charges for many of the drugs still under patent, and for which it can get away with it. But without a pharma industry, your so called "basic human right" ceases to exist. What we need is better regulation of the industry, a true auditing of drug costs after R&D is factored in, and ceilings on profit margins, etc. Then medicines may be more fairly priced for all. It will never happen though.

[tomross46]

No!why should other countries foot the bill or should i say

other people foot the bill these poorer countries already

get millions in aid every year

The money given in aid goes into politicians pockets. Look at Ethiopia or Haiti, how much money was pored into these countries and all it did was make the rich politicians richer. Just because Bill Clinton goes there for a photo op, does not indicate something is being done.

[RisqEM]

That is the most myopic pov I've ever read. No wonder Thailand is rewarding it. IMO, if rich countries citizens bear the cost to support poor people in a different country, then they should get first pic, and the people who pay less get in the back of line according to this logic.

[amykat]

I think in the case of Thailand, someone should be questioning the huge import tax placed on medications and other health and safety things (like vitamins, child car seats) especially, and certainly, when drug companies ARE selling their drugs at hugely discounted prices (as compared anyway to Amercian prices) and then Thailand slaps on 200% or what, I am not sure, import tax!

And this isn't only in the cases where there is a Thai alternative for example. Not that I think that would be acceptable either, but at least better.

I think, some medications, aren't approved for use in Thailand, because the overall cost, with the tax, would make it very impractical, although I am not sure that is the reason. But I have a rather rare illness and many drugs that I could use, should use, cannot be had here. My daughter has a rather common medical condition, but that requires a lifetime of medication, and for which there are at least 10 good medications available in the world, but in Thailand, only one is available, at about 2000 baht a month, and this will go up as her age/weight increases, and this drug is the only one made in Thailand. If I want the next better drug, it jumps to 6000 baht a month due to the tax. I don't even know what else is available after that, if anything is here ...as this is a rather new development in her life.

But in my case, I have been able to order some of my medications, at the full American price, and have them sent here, for less than I can buy them here, or one drug is just not available here at all, nor any substitute.

[squrrel]

It's not the countries that pay for the drugs it's the people. Poor people in wealthy countries also can not afford expensive drugs. A lot of African countries are rich in oil and minerals but people do not get any monies from this because of corrupt governments.

I think that all health care and medical drugs should be free as health is a basic human right.

. Only thirteenth in the world? Come on guys you can do better than that!! Or perhaps somebody is lying about the figure???

[bkk_mike]

But we already have what they're asking for...

Americans pay more for drugs than virtually anywhere else. This is because they have a fragmented medical care system whereas in most other countries, there's a single bulk buyer of drugs that can negotiate fairly large discounts.

The idea falls apart anyway when you look at diseases that don't crop up in rich countries. - i.e. Malaria, Yellow Fever, where there is almost no rich country demand for the drugs to treat them.

Add in how you choose which countries are "rich". America, Japan, UK and most of the EU are massively in debt, whereas countries like China have a huge budget surplus. Who should pay more?

Edited January 30, 2013 by bkk_mike

[stoli]

Nah, stay away from medics - they will kill you.

Most of the "Drugs" they peddle only suppress the symptoms, for a while at least.

Then you need to buy more pills for the next phase of your illness.

Look what the "Authorities" do to anyone who finds a cure for a profitable illness - they stomp on them hard.

The big companies train the doctors and only allow them to practice if they push the BigPharma's drugs.

Graft and corruption at all levels of all governments - world wide.

See the revolving door between the Government regulatory bodies and the big companies.

I agree. You should stay away from drugs.

[Melyn]

Thailand views itself as a rich, first world nation most of the time but fails to produce academics or invest in pharmaceutical research. It wants to eat its cake, have medicine for free and keep.its money.

If I heard Sierra Leone make those statements then fine

[Mudcrab]

But we already have what they're asking for...

Americans pay more for drugs than virtually anywhere else. This is because they have a fragmented medical care system whereas in most other countries, there's a single bulk buyer of drugs that can negotiate fairly large discounts.

The idea falls apart anyway when you look at diseases that don't crop up in rich countries. - i.e. Malaria, Yellow Fever, where there is almost no rich country demand for the drugs to treat them.

Add in how you choose which countries are "rich". America, Japan, UK and most of the EU are massively in debt, whereas countries like China have a huge budget surplus. Who should pay more?

Totally agree...just who are these rich countries? The US, UK , Greece ,Ireland and most EU countries along with Australia and New Zealand?....most are in hock up to their necks. Don't know how the perception of the rich farang can be changed but I am sure the average bloke on the street is certainly not rich in the west.....just trying to survive from paycheck to paycheck.

[harryfrompattaya]

Dem dere rich keep gettin' richer all over Thailand.

I believe Thailand is richer than Europe England or United States look how stronger the Baht is and the SET. You can not have it both ways

[Bagwan]

My wife's medication costs 1600 baht for a 28 day supply. If I purchased from a private hospital I'd be looking at a bill for 7k baht. It's about time that a Thai Government started clamping down on the profiteering by private hospitals. Some hope!!

Before I came to Thailand 12 years ago the cost to the NHS for a 28 days supply of Cimetidine, which was free to me, was about 80 pounds. I buy an effective medication for the same period from my local pharmacy for 120 baht. Is it any wonder that the NHS is strapped for cash?

I doubt that the UK and Thailand are the only countries where the populace is ripped off.

Edited January 30, 2013 by Bagwan

[Bagwan]

Dem dere rich keep gettin' richer all over Thailand.

I believe Thailand is richer than Europe England or United States look how stronger the Baht is and the SET. You can not have it both ways

So how come that Thailand is on the cadge for a mere 350 billion?

[Thai at Heart]

This is where morals meet economics.

The west is already paying too much for many medicines, but big pharma pays billions to research this stuff.

What are the duties on imported medicines? And private hospitals should not be allowed to mark them up so far, this should be capped.