Medicine prices have increased recently. According to the Pharmacist Association and Pharmaceutical Association, the unreasonable increase in medicine prices, such as what happened in the first and second wave of Covid-19 in Indonesia, was caused by illegal medicine distribution channels. According to them, one of the perpetrators of the illegal distribution is e-commerce.
Chairman of the Indonesian Pharmacy Association, Dr. Gideon Hartono expressed his concern about the third wave of COVID-19. He is worried that an incident like two years ago will happen where people trade medicines through illegal channels.
Gideon in a Hearing Meeting (RDP) with Commission VI DPR, last Wednesday (2/2) explained, “So many people were unable to access pharmacies in the past two years because they didn’t buy medicines through pharmacies but through e-commerce and other electronic channels. other paths that are not legal.”
General Chairperson of the Indonesian Pharmacy GP Tirto Kusnadi also said the same thing. The soaring increase in medicine prices was caused by the perpetrators taking advantage of the situation when medicine supplies were limited. When the supply of medicine becomes limited, these perpetrators sell medicines to the public at very high prices.
Tirto explained, “I think that out of all these businesses there are so-called ‘bad people’, so in these industry groups there are also many naughty people. He used the name of one wholesaler or one pharmacy, buying in bulk. He knows that production is still limited, so they try to play this opportunity and sell as he pleases.”
The price of medicines was expensive due to the supply of medicines that could not keep up with the demand. It increased 4-5 times so that the government through the Food and medicine Supervisory Agency (POM) had to step in and tighten medicine distribution channels.
Tirto regretted this, “Indeed, we ourselves, sir, all members deeply regret that this happened. So, in the end, the government also took more appropriate steps, really tightened it. The POM Agency also really checked the truth of this distribution channel. “
Moreover, he ensured that the problems that occurred two years ago where medicine prices were too high would not happen again ahead of preparations for entering the third wave of Covid-19 in Indonesia. He ensures adequate stock of medicines.
Tirto emphasized, “We all know that this is through an unofficial channel. So in our opinion, with enough products available, there is no need to worry anymore.”
