Luxor4u

Health minister Ahmed Emad said the cabinet approved decision to raise prices for 3,000 medicines; as of Thursday.

This is the second wave of increasing medicines prices in less than one year. In May 2016, the cabinet decided to raise the medicines prices, less than EGP 30, up to 20%.

The increase will reach up to 15% for local medicines and 20% for imported medicines, Emad told the press following a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

However, the increase will not be added to the long-term medications, according to Emad.

This comes after an acute shortage of medicines over the past few months in relation with the foreign currency shortage.

The cabinet spent weeks in negotiations with pharmaceutical companies, following the currency floating in November 2016, over a convenient new price for medicines.

In mid November 2016, the cabinet allocated $ 186 millions to import 149 kinds of essential, and missing medicines.

Health ministry spokesperson Khaled Megahed told state newspapers on Wednesday that the new increase in medicines prices will only include packets with a production date after the aforementioned decision.

This means, medicines which are still available will be sold with old prices.

Medicines shortage and the sky-rocketing increase in their prices caused widespread uproar. Pharmacists syndicate earlier pleaded the president to interfere in the plight.

Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201701130479.html

DJKeefy wrote:
Health ministry spokesperson Khaled Megahed told state newspapers on Wednesday that the new increase in medicines prices will only include packets with a production date after the aforementioned decision.

This means, medicines which are still available will be sold with old prices.

I wonder if this will be the case

DJKeefy wrote:

DJKeefy wrote:
Health ministry spokesperson Khaled Megahed told state newspapers on Wednesday that the new increase in medicines prices will only include packets with a production date after the aforementioned decision.

This means, medicines which are still available will be sold with old prices.

I wonder if this will be the case

I wondered about that too

They'll probably try and palm off the old stock at the new prices to less-observant foreigners.

If the increased prices reduce the Egyptian appetite for swallowing pills (especially antibiotics) by the bucketful, so much the better.

Unfortunately, the price rises will also increase the incentive to churn out fake drugs.

It looks like 'another brick in the wall' for over 25% of the population of Egypt who now find themselves below the poverty line, and even higher in rural governorates such as Luxor. The pharmaceutical business makes very good profits, however the retail side has never been slow in Egypt at hiking the prices through the roof. I would imagine it will not be long before the Pharmacists Syndicate will be brought kicking and screaming before parliament, as it has in the past.

The problem for many ex-pats in Egypt is that, they are not aware of the problems that may be dormant, that are lurking within the body during middle age. They can have serious effect, if not detected at an earlier date. By the time most people arrive at the age of 60, the problem can be very difficult to control, or even kill long before.

For over ten years now GP's in the U.K. have taken great interest in detecting and controlling various little such problems, with a variety of drugs. The present day situation is that GP's for what ever reason do not inform their patients of the latest drugs that are available. Great advances have been made in drugs for people who will remain on such treatment for the rest of their life, but of course are rather expensive, however in most cases will not cost the patient any more.

Present day preventative common drugs such as Warfrin, Statins and C.O.P.D. remedies, have moved on, and for a great many people the benefits are wonderful, and in the case of Warfrin users, less time consuming, though in most cases its up to your GP to inform you. The way things are going in Egypt, most pharmacists outside Cairo will not bother to carry even statins. Life expectancy will be even worse than now.

The following link will take you to the full new pharmaceutical prices.

Wow, Burophen 600mg is 31.50, that's more than 20%. There is 30 in the box, I don't know if the price is for the strip or box in the pdf list???

They did cost 15LE a box before, someone brought me some back not so long ago too, and the indented price on the box was 15LE.

Sad times for Egyptians, it just seems to be getting worse

The cost of many things in European countries are cheaper now than Egypt and our incomes are a lot more than they get.


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DJKeefy wrote:Wow, Burophen 600mg,

Wow, bit of a sledge hammer there Keefy, if being used on a regular basis.


Just checked through some of the drugs that I mentioned above that in many ways are vital to keep a person healthy,........those that suffer from asthma, for there are many, especially in Cairo, the new price for 60 pressurised inhalation will cost a small fortune, even by British standards.

For those people who remember where the first ever Amoun Restaurant was (near the Marlborough sign) directly across was, and I still hope is, the original National Pharmacist shop, these were set up by the government many years ago. A registered pharmacist is on duty throughout, each town has one of these such places, they always look a bit shabby, but you will get the real drugs, at the correct price. Many such places in Luxor these days, who say they are such people, when in fact they are not, and can hardly tell the difference between a shampoo and a conditioner.

A-Four wrote:

DJKeefy wrote:Wow, Burophen 600mg,

Wow, bit of a sledge hammer there Keefy, if being used on a regular basis.

Wow in the fact that's its increased by 110%


Just nice to have some handy A-Four



The price is printed on now, before it was embossed and hard to see.

Brufen 200mg Sugar Coated Tablet (strip of 10) cost 19.13LE - Cost in the UK 25p

BTW - I have only looked at Brufen cause I know the prices in Egypt and the UK, other tablets might be better value, I don't know. I do remember a time though when regular visitors to Egypt took tablets/medicine home with them cause they were much cheaper than the UK.

DJKeefy wrote:
BTW - I have only looked at Brufen cause I know the prices in Egypt and the UK, other tablets might be better value, I don't know. I do remember a time though when regular visitors to Egypt took tablets/medicine home with them cause they were much cheaper than the UK.

This is very true, even ex-pats I have come across take very strong drugs, such as Augamentin 1 gram, talk about sledge hammer, but then again, I always found that it was rare that a pharmacist in Egypt to ask what other medication the patient were taking, either short or long term.

I doubt that Augmentin I gr. is produced exclusively for the ex pat community.

carrie wrote:I doubt that Augmentin I gr. is produced exclusively for the ex pat community.

Good God, no Carrie, the average Upper Egyptian man, is a hypochondriac, though when he is ill, he will only take medication until the problem goes away. With such things as antibiotics, of which Augamentin is one, this must be taken over 7 to 10 days. This is why GP's in Luxor give the strongest, and actually encourage their patient to take a double dose initially, as a 'kick in'.

Many Pharmacists sold strong such medication to tourists simply because of the high price that can be charged, also remember that the medication in question here is used as a 'cure' for the early stages of a certain social disease, so it was thought any tourist would never bother to question the price, even if, somewhat inflated.

One thing I do agree with A Four the average Egyptian is a hypochondriac, how they keep finding the money to visit the doctor then buy the shopping list of medications prescribed for them beats me. When you ask what is this for? No idea, the doctor gave me a paper for it.

carrie wrote:One thing I do agree with A Four the average Egyptian is a hypochondriac, how they keep finding the money to visit the doctor then buy the shopping list of medications prescribed for them beats me. When you ask what is this for? No idea, the doctor gave me a paper for it.

Absolutely.

The slightest twinge, ache or "don't feel quite right" and they're off to the nearest pharmacy to dine on a combination powerful pain killers, anti-inflammatories and antibiotics....whatever the "pharmacist" (or whoever is behind the counter at the time) suggests....rather than letting nature take its course.

Little wonder they are often unwell or die earlier than they should.

The medical profession seems to positively encourage this hypochondria.

All true, and theyre often off to the hospital at the first signs of a cold, but I DO wish theyd visit the dentists more often.

I will take a page out of A-four's book replying to this one. As you may remember, but apparently not, I posted some while back concerning the sudden high hikes in the prices of medicines, both for ''us lot'' and the Egyptians. Increases of well over 100% then was not uncommon. Boxes with stamped prices on had them scratched out with the increase wrote in biro. Date stamps will mean nothing to the pharmacist, but the higher profits will, European customer or not.

I remember posting some time ago about a visit I made to a pharmacist in Hurghada where he tried to charge me over three times the amount the item should have cost, Glyphdoctor answered and said it was illegal for pharmacists to over charge for medicines?

It may well be that it's illegal for pharmacists to overcharge - GD, after all, should know.

She also mentioned, I think, that it's illegal for them to offer medical advice, prescribe medication etc (if I understood her earlier post correctly).

My problem is....where do I complain? is there something akin to the Office of Fair Trading in Egypt? Are there enforceable consumer protection laws? Is there somewhere I can go and say "so-and-so tried to charge me XLE for some pills which, according to the official list are only YLE....and I want them prosecuted".

I think I know the answer.....

newcastle wrote:It may well be that it's illegal for pharmacists to overcharge - GD, after all, should know.

She also mentioned, I think, that it's illegal for them to offer medical advice, prescribe medication etc (if I understood her earlier post correctly).

My problem is....where do I complain? is there something akin to the Office of Fair Trading in Egypt? Are there enforceable consumer protection laws? Is there somewhere I can go and say "so-and-so tried to charge me XLE for some pills which, according to the official list are only YLE....and I want them prosecuted".

I think I know the answer.....

There is, or certainly was, something along the lines of Office of Fair Trading. The information used to be on the Government (Ministry of Interior ?) website.

There is, or certainly was, something along the lines of Office of Fair Trading

Possibly....but does it do anything? In reality?

I know there is a sort of Consumer Protection Agency...but I suspect it's not that interested in pursuing individual cases of overcharging.

It would have its work cut out if it was

Newcastle your suggestion of an independent government agency to stand up for the small person against the powerful sounds risky and just the type of cultural imperialism to be expected from those who want to destroy Egypt’s cultural identity.

My god if it was ever established there could be no end to what the weak might want from the powerful. It would be a slippery slope. One day wanting fairness in trading the next day honesty in government. Where would it end but in anarchy and in the destruction of the Egyptian way-of-life (well at least the way of life of some)?

Better to leave things as they are with expectations at rock bottom and with everyone either riding the tiger or running from it.

I don’t know what the problem is. The government controls the Pharmacists through the state controlled syndicate, a similar syndicate, with a government managed vote, controls the doctors, there are government agencies for everything that moves, nothing exists without a regulation, millions are employed to run the system and millions of others to police it or act as informers. The taxpayer has given millions over decades to patriotic local pharmaceutical corporations which now lead the world. Laws to prohibit price gouging are on the books, the police are very numerous and the prosecutors and judges falling over themselves to do the government’s bidding. Anyone who causes trouble is jailed or sent to Upper Egypt. All is as it should be. Looks perfect on paper as it always has.

As everyone knows the current drug problems are an international pharmaceutical conspiracy backed by you know who and the you know whats. Egypt is not to blame and wild suggestions that it should have currency hedged its contracts or established a orderly single price contracting authority are false news and disruptive to public harmony. The devaluation was fully planned for.

The pill popping might be right with a third of total health expenditure going to pharmacies. Pharmacies get about twice the expenditure of the total government hospital and clinic system. http://www.infodynamicsconsulting.com/s ... e-In-Egypt. It’s a bit difficult to make comparisons but, as a share of total health expenditure, this is about three times larger than the UK. https://data.oecd.org/healthres/pharmac ... ending.htm. In this highly regulated system there has been several generations of decision making to go down a pill path rather than a doctor/hospital/preventative care path. Of course the two aren’t mutually exclusive but Egypt is quite odd in its pill popping and how much of the total health bucket gets spent on it. But this is all for another post.