| Let doctors diagnose and pharmacies sell drugs to lower medical costs |
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Straits Times Letter to the Forum, Mar 21, 2006 "Patented drugs keep medical costs high in S'pore" says Dr Lim Boon Hee (ST Online Forum, March 16). I don't share this view. The inadequate inventory of many suburban pharmacies is due to lack of demand and not inventory problems. If every patient needs to buy his own medicine as a rule rather than an option, the supply chain will link the loop seamlessly. Citing conveniences for patients and that it's cheaper to prescribe and dispense medicine is purely academic and not helpful when patients are not given the free choice to purchase their own medicines at any pharmacy. Only through stiff competition over time will the prices find their own levels. It is through competition in quality and price that we can make Singapore a medical hub for this region. There is no advantage if we still hold on to the outdated practices which are frowned upon by the developed world. Dr Lim further assumes that pharmacies here dispense mainly patented drugs and keep very little of the cheaper generic medicine which can cost ten times less than the original drugs. In reality, there are two reasons for such a phenomenon. One, doctors don't give prescriptions to patients to buy their medicines elsewhere. Even if patients want prescriptions, the doctors will specify branded or patented drugs which will cost the same price as the clinic's because the profit margins are controlled. Second, since no generic medicines are in demand in the market, who wants to stock the best, proven and cheaper drugs in their stores? Unless the medical fraternity is prepared to let go its grip on prescription and dispensing, patients would have no chance to buy drugs elsewhere. It is not conducive to the free market situation for pharmacies to flourish and compete like mobile phones companies or home appliances. The Ministry of Health has done a good job in making medical treatment charges open and transparent. This causes prices to drop a lot when people are well-informed and given a choice. The private sector should follow suit to support such a policy. The list-price practice is the right way to encourage competition to reduce health care costs. It is time that free competition be introduced in the pharmacy trade to achieve real cost savings. Doctors can practise their diagnostic skills and prescribe the appropriate medicines for healing. Let the pharmacists practise their craft and bring in the best, cheaper and powerful generic drugs to suit the requirements or preferences of individual patients. Paul Chan Poh Hoi Comments (0)
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