The prices of 75 basic essential pharmaceutical products will be reduced by an average of thirty percent from the 21st of this month.
Dr Mahendra Reddy said the basic medication range from Paracetamol, Amoxycillin, Tylenol, Aspirin and several other types of medicine however lifestyle drugs will not be under the price control.
He said the new prices will come into effect from next Friday to give the government time to supply the drugs to the pharmacies around the country.
Dr Reddy added the prices will differ in Viti Levu and Vanua Levu due to the freight costs.
Commerce Minister, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said 70 percent of the drugs will be sourced from the Government Pharmacy.
Sayed-Khaiyum said Pharmacies will have to display the basic drugs on price control for the public and he is seeking the assistance of doctors and pharmacies to be transparent with the consumers.
Meanwhile the President of the Fiji Pharmaceutical Society Ajay Raniga has welcomed the move.
Serious concerns were raised in relation to medicine prices late last year after a Consumer Council of Fiji survey revealed that some pharmacies in the country are imposing mark-ups as high as 460 percent.
The key finding in price analysis for individual medication showed that 30 out of the 47 pharmacies surveyed charged higher prices for the same brand of medicine.
Mark-ups ranging from 95 percent to more than 400 percent were noticed in the survey for several types of basic medication used by members of the public.
Some of the problems noted in the survey were pharmacies not disclosing prices of individual medicines, violation of labeling requirements for medicines set by the Ministry of Health, problems with receipts and not informing consumers on choice over the generic and originator brand medications.
It was also discovered that some pharmacies were selling the generic at the same price as the originator brands.
There was also an allegation in the survey report of dispensing medications in wrong dosage and being involved in fraudulent sale.
The call has already been made or effective enforcement of the laws due to a lack of knowledge on medication as majority of the consumers place complete trust in the pharmacies when they go to purchase their medicine.
Story by: Vijay Narayan & Sofaia Koroitanoa
Reduced medicine prices to ease life for low income households
Related Stories
We are committed to holding elections – Siromi Turaga
Questions were raised during Dialogue Fiji’s Constitution review discussion on whether the government can delay the general elections and complete the Constitution review however Acting Attorney General Siromi Turaga
Fijian economy on track to grow for fourth consecutive year in 2025 by 3.4%
The Fijian economy is on track to grow for the fourth consecutive year in 2025 by 3.4 percent, following a 3.5 percent expansion in 2024. The growth forecast is revised up marginally from the 3.2 percent projected
Heavy Rain Alert for Eastern Viti Levu, Southern Bua, Cakaudrove, Taveuni and maritime areas
A heavy rain alert is now in force for the eastern half of Viti Levu (Navua–Suva–Nausori to Serua–Namosi to Tailevu–Naitasiri–Ra areas), southern Bua, Cakaudrove, Taveuni and nearby smaller islands, the Lau an
We need to dismantle criminal enterprises, hitting them where it hurts most - Speaker
Speaker of Parliament, Filimone Jitoko has highlighted during the opening of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions Conference that there is a need for prosecutors in the country to master the digital frontie
Fiji has learned from its past and we know that restricting media engagement or access is not the answer - Tabuya
At all times, the public interest in accessing information and the media’s role in scrutinising government must outweigh any unilateral power to silence or sideline a news outlet. In Fiji, we uphold the principle that
Wailea resident raises concerns about drug issues raised countless times with Police while COMPOL says official complaint must be lodged
Wailea Settlement Community leader, Inoke Utona says he has raised the issue of drug use and dealing in their area countless times with the authorities but there has still been no response from Police. However when