Evaluating Drug Prices, Availability, Affordability, and Price Components: Implications for Access to Drugs in Malaysia

BACKGROUND: Malaysia's stable health care system is facing challenges with increasing medicine costs. To investigate these issues a survey was carried out to evaluate medicine prices, availability, affordability, and the structure of price components. METHODS AND FINDINGS: The methodology developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Health Action International (HAI) was used. Price and availability data for 48 medicines was collected from 20 public sector facilities, 32 private sector retail pharmacies and 20 dispensing doctors in four geographical regions of West Malaysia. Medicine prices were compared with international reference prices (IRPs) to obtain a median price ratio. The daily wage of the lowest paid unskilled government worker was used to gauge the affordability of medicines. Price component data were collected throughout the supply chain, and markups, taxes, and other distribution costs were identified. In private pharmacies, innovator brand (IB) prices were 16 times higher than the IRPs, while generics were 6.6 times higher. In dispensing doctor clinics, the figures were 15 times higher for innovator brands and 7.5 for generics. Dispensing doctors applied high markups of 50%–76% for IBs, and up to 316% for generics. Retail pharmacy markups were also high—25%–38% and 100%–140% for IBs and generics, respectively. In the public sector, where medicines are free, availability was low even for medicines on the National Essential Drugs List. For a month's treatment for peptic ulcer disease and hypertension people have to pay about a week's wages in the private sector. CONCLUSIONS: The free market by definition does not control medicine prices, necessitating price monitoring and control mechanisms. Markups for generic products are greater than for IBs. Reducing the base price without controlling markups may increase profits for retailers and dispensing doctors without reducing the price paid by end users. To increase access and affordability, promotion of generic medicines and improved availability of medicines in the public sector are required

شاہ وجیہ الدین علوی گجراتیؒ،احوال و خدمات علمی و روحانی

Shah Wajeehuddin Alvi Gujrati is one of the famous saints of the Shattari dynasti. He was born in Champaneer, an area of Gujrat (India). His father Qazi Syed Nasrullah was appointed as chief justice of Champaneer in the last era of Sultan Mehmood Begra. Shah Wajeehuddin was the disciple of Shah Ghaos Muhammad Gawaliyari, the great Shattari saint of the subcontinent. Shah Wajeehuddin was the man of true morality and Enthusiesm. From every part of the Sub-Continent, students and lovers of spirtulism appeared before this saint and quenched their thurst of knowledge. Personalities like Shah Abdullah Alavi Ahmadabadi, Syed Sibghat-Ullah Bharoachi, Sheikh Fazl-u-allah Burhanpuri, Qazi Jalal al-Din Multani, Syad Jalal Mah Alam and Sheikh Ahmad Gujrati are counted his students and khaliphes

گجرات (ہند) میں سلسلہ چشتیہ کی ترویج و اشاعت میں صوفیہ کا کردار

Chishti is a renowned Order of Sufism in the Subcontinent. Hazrat Khwaja Moeenuddin Chishti of Ajmer was the founder of the Chishti Order.  In Gujrat (India) this Order started with the emerging of Sheikh Kamaluddin Allama. He was the disciple of Hazrat Khwaja Naseeruddin Chiragh Dehlavi. A deep study of the history of Sufis of the Chishti Order in Gujrat (India), brings before us the fact that the Sufis of this Order played important role in the preaching of Islam along with spreading the teachings of the Chishti Order. The major Sufis of this Order in Gujrat were Sheikh Ilmuddin Chishti, Sheikh Mehmood Chishti, Sheikh Yaqoob Chishti, Sheikh Babu Chishti, Hazrat Khoob Miyan Chishti and many others.</p

‘Sites’ of Resistance: Alternative Websites and State-Society Relations

10.1080/00071310120109366British Journal of Sociology531127-14