UAE to slash price of medicine

Andy Tuesday, 5 February 2013 8:56 AM - USA

@ Peter Hudson, or even much cheaper in Thailand. The profit margins on vitamins and medications in the UAE is ridiculous. When rents are so high and the cost of living is also crazy high retailers can only continue to raise prices just to live and cover their expenses.

Shop rents is a major reason medication and vitamin prices are so high. Residency visa fees and renewal fees for companies is another reason.

Mac Monday, 4 February 2013 10:39 AM - INDIA

It w'd have been great if the complete list is provided by AB with details like % reduction and category of medicine.
Also overall it was long due as medical cost (especially dental, maternity and eye check ups which are not covered by majority of insurers or as employments benefits) is very high in UAE considering low savings rate with high rentals. Medical expenses should be made reasonable as its good for humanity too.

Peter Hudson Monday, 4 February 2013 10:14 AM - UK

About time !!

Medicines in the UAE are outrageously priced and importers, distributors and retailers make obscene profits on them all at the cost of the consumer.

The same antibiotic that you can buy in London for 6 pounds costs AED 135 i.e almost 4 times more in UAE!! This is true for most of the imported medicines sold in UAE

This rip off has to stop.....

king RX Tuesday, 5 February 2013 8:27 AM - UK

I agree with Peter, however he seems to have left out the Manufacturers from his list of culprits.
The MOH is less successful than NHS in negotiating prices with manufacturers.
The proposed price reductions will come out of further reducing retail and wholesale margins, and to a much less extent, the actual import price.
Retailers barely get by in the GCC as their margins are regulated by the government. They make an average of 16% margin on medicines, and out of this they need to pay salaries, rents, insurance company discounts, etc. in the end leaving them with barely 3-4% operating margin which is modest by all accounts.
Distributors also get about 16% margin but their high profits are made through their exclusive monopolistic agreements with the international manufacturers, to distribute to the entire nation, private and govt sectors.

I hope the UAE plans to regulate school margins the same way they regulate pharmacies.