The cost of drugs in the Kingdom has remained stable and has not been affected by the current global economic crisis. While the cost of drugs is increasing in other countries, the prices of pharmaceutical products in the Kingdom have remained the cheapest in the region, according to the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA). “The price of drugs in the Kingdom has remained low and affordable; compared with the other countries in the region, the cost of medicine here is still the cheapest,” Dr. Mohammed Hajed of the SFDA Drug Section, said. He said consumers who do not know the actual price of drugs might feel that the cost of locally marketed drugs is high when, in fact, it is lower than in other countries in the region. Dr. Hajed said complaints that the price of pharmaceuticals is increasing because of the global economic downturn are far-fetched. He said the price of medicine and the marketing of drugs are still regulated by the Ministry of Health, which sees to it that consumers are protected. A recent SFDA study indicated that the prices of drugs in the Kingdom are low compared with other countries of the region. The study revealed that 77 percent of registered drugs prices in the Kingdom are less than SR60. The study also recommended the formation of a specialized group composed of financial experts, pharmaceutical industry experts on drug pricing and manufacturing, pharmacists and doctors to monitor the movement of prices in the market with the objective of preventing undue price hikes. One prudent and sensible measure which drug consumers can take in order to reduce their spending on drugs is to purchase only what is actually needed, according to pharmacists of one of the leading drugstore chains in the Kingdom. “Medicines are available in small and large packets,” a pharmacist pointed out, “and we recommend, as doctors also do, that consumers buy only what is needed for a specific treatment period. Wastage due to the medicine not being used after treatment is common.” Dr. Hisham S. Abou-Auda of the College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, who conducted a study on the consumption of medicine, concluded that on the basis of total medication cost, medication wastage was 19.2 percent and 25 percent in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries, respectively. His study showed that families in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries spend a total of $150 million annually on medications that are never consumed.
