Trade vs retail

The pharmaceutical industry wants to increase medicine prices. But patients and the government do not want to increase prices. This is resulting in diminishing manufacturing and product availability in the market. One way the government can overcome this hurdle is by changing the difference between trade and retail prices of medicine, which is 15 percent currently. This 15 percent goes to the pharmacy shop that has much lower running costs compared to a manufacturing unit. And 15 percent is higher than what the pharmaceutical company is earning.

Therefore, the government can reduce the difference between trade and retail price to five percent, which would automatically give a 10 percent increase to manufacturing while the product price for the patient remains the same.

Engr Shahryar Khan Baseer

Peshawar