Medicines and Christmas
other than the problem of the unavailability of many types of medicines in government hospital pharmacies, there are constant complaints about the high prices of medicines in private pharmacies, compared to other countries -- gulf, arab, and even european -- and this is what some people show on social media in the form of comparative videos, sometimes funny.
there is no doubt that the prices of some medicines in the country are irrational and suspicious, but their numbers remain limited, and the same is available to patients free of charge from government pharmacies, based on a prescription, which some people misuse sometimes.
in principle, there is a difference between the original drug, produced in the country of manufacture, and the drug manufactured in another country under a license from the parent company, and it is called “naturalized” or generic. counterfeit medicines are also available.
most of what is manufactured in african countries or egypt and turkey is considered very close to the original, because it is manufactured under a license, and does not necessarily mean that it is imported from the source.
the conditions or costs of selling an original imported medicine vary from one country to another, for political, humanitarian, economic, and commercial reasons.
the discrepancy may be caused by the government of a country like turkey subsidizing the products of its pharmaceutical factories, with exemptions and others or the difference is due to the cheapness of the currency exchange rate, and its almost daily fluctuation.
the reason may be that the cost of opening and running a pharmacy in egypt, which has a very huge market, compared to kuwait, is much lower than the cost of running a pharmacy in kuwait.
also, global drug production companies sell their medicines at preferential prices to some poor countries and do not do the same with rich countries.
in addition to that, drug prices are determined in kuwait by the ministry of health, according to approved purchase invoices, and i have no reason to suspect that there is a suspicion of manipulation here, while i do not completely exclude the matter.
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note: as we are used to since, after liberation, we will publish a congratulation “from the heart” on the entire last page of al-qabas on december 25, 2022, addressed to our christian brothers, citizens, and expatriates, and the american soldiers residing among us, who are far from their families and loved ones, on the occasion of christmas and new year’s day.
for those wishing to include their names or the names of their companies or institutions in the congratulatory announcement, send “whatsapp” to the number 66000448 indicating their willingness to participate, so that they can be contacted.
priority will be to accept and publish to the first 40 contacts.
