The Government of Bangladesh has announced plans to update its list of essential medicines as part of an initiative to make affordable medications more accessible to the public. This decision was discussed during a recent meeting at the Ministry of Health, which included participants from pharmaceutical companies, international organizations, and civil society groups.

Professor Sayedur Rahman, Special Assistant to the Chief Advisor, emphasized that despite significant growth in the pharmaceutical sector, a large portion of healthcare expenses for citizens is still spent on medications. He highlighted the need to make medicine usage more meaningful and accessible.

Abdul Muktadir, Chairman and Managing Director of Incepta Pharmaceuticals, pointed out that Bangladeshi pharmaceutical companies sell medicines at very low prices, with the country’s pharmaceutical market valued at approximately 300 billion taka. He noted that the per capita annual expenditure on medicine is 1,764 taka, which is among the lowest globally. Muktadir also mentioned ambiguities in the current drug policy and urged for inclusive decision-making involving pharmaceutical companies.

Syed Mizanur Rahman, Organizational Secretary of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), expressed concerns over rising medicine prices and criticized aggressive marketing practices by some pharmaceutical companies.

Mizanur Rahman Sinha, Chairman of ACI Limited, asserted that no Bangladeshi company produces substandard medicines. Mohammad Zakir Hossain, Managing Director of Delta Pharma, highlighted the challenge of obtaining 49 types of licenses or registrations before commencing drug production, especially for biological products.

Anindya Rahman, National Professional Officer of the World Health Organization, recommended updating the essential medicines list, noting that only 10% of medicines are obtained from hospitals, while 90% are purchased from pharmacies. He also pointed out the irrational use of antibiotics and common medicines.

Atiya Hasan, Senior Health Economist at the World Bank, suggested including medicines for non-communicable diseases in the essential medicines list and emphasized the need for behavioral changes among consumers regarding medicine usage.

Several participants advocated for enhancing the capacity of Essential Drugs Company Limited (EDCL), the government’s sole drug manufacturer. One speaker mentioned that reducing expenditures on medical representatives could lower medicine prices.

Kazi Bennoor, Convener of the citizen organization “Healthy Bangladesh,” highlighted price discrepancies for the same medicine across different companies and questioned the assurance of quality among top pharmaceutical companies.

In conclusion, Health Advisor Nurjahan Begum stated that there should be no division among stakeholders and emphasized the collective responsibility to ensure that no one is deprived of necessary medicines due to financial constraints. She called for collaborative efforts to transform EDCL into a world-class institution.

Other speakers at the event included Kaiser Kabir, Managing Director of Renata Limited; Liza Talukder, Project Manager at USAID; and Sheikh Masudul Alam, Program Director of Bangladesh Health Watch.