Many medicines are unaffordable to the country's poorer residents, despite a move by the Ministry of Health to cut prices for hundreds of prescription drugs, a world health expert says.
Margaret Ewen, who heads a medicine price database for the World Health Organisation (Who) and Health Action International, also questioned the Government's move to reduce the cost of branded drugs before cutting prices for generics.
MORE ON PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
Lower drug prices good for heart and nerves Twenty international pharmaceutical companies have accepted a request to reduce drug prices. Read article
Medicine prices to drop Ministry of Health announces that it will greatly reduce the prices of thousands of pharmaceutical drugs and other medicines. Read article
Smart card scheme aims to curb rising addiction Dubai Police are pushing hard to reduce the abuse of prescription medicines. Read article
MORE UAE NEWS
"The UAE Government needs to focus on lowering the prices of generics so they are affordable for all, especially those on low wages, and implementing policies that ensure low-priced generics are prescribed and dispensed," Ms Ewen said after reviewing the new list of drug prices.
The price cuts on 498 branded drugs, which went into effect at the start of this month, are in addition to 67 reductions that were introduced on July 1.
The ministry is also in discussions with drug companies to reduce the price of hundreds of generic drugs, said Dr Amin Al Amiri, the assistant undersecretary of medical practice and licensing at the ministry .
Prices in this round of cuts were reduced by between 5 and 55 per cent, with most of them between 20 and 30 per cent.
"We have been working closely with pharmaceutical companies to bring costs down to lower levels," Dr Al Amiri said. "We want to provide pharmaceuticals of the best quality at the best prices."
In its most recent survey in 2006, which is cited in Who's current World Health Statistics report, researchers found branded drugs in private UAE pharmacies and non-government hospitals had cost on average more than 23 times the international recommended prices.
The prices of selected generic medicines sold in pharmacies were nearly 14 times the reference price, which is the average amount charged to developing countries on a non-profit basis.
Based on a daily wage of Dh15, which the Dubai Economic Council considers the lowest salary in the country, "many standard treatments with originator brands to treat common conditions are not affordable", Ms Ewen said.
About 15 days of those wages would be needed each month to buy Zocor 20mg tablets, which are used to treat high cholesterol.
About six days of those wages were needed each month to buy Renitec 10mg tablets for hypertension, and a course of Amoxil 500mg capsules to treat a respiratory infection would take four days' wages.
Based on an income of Dh80 a day, which the Dubai Economic Council considers the country's poverty line, commonly prescribed medicines would require several days of income, making affordability an issue, Ms Ewen said.
Although all companies in Abu Dhabi must provide health insurance for their workers, most unskilled and semi-skilled workers have only basic coverage that often does not cover the cost of prescriptions.
Officials at the Ministry of Health have argued the small population of the UAE, and therefore lower amount of products bought compared with other countries, has made it difficult to obtain competitive prices from drug makers.
Pharmacists said they were aware of the price cuts and were expecting visits from ministry representatives.
"There is an agent for every area who will visit and change the prices on the packets that we have, depending on the quantity in store," said Dr Haider Jawad, a pharmacist at Modern Al Falah Pharmacy in Dubai's Al Barsha neighbourhood.
Another pharmacist said the old stock would be repriced as new stock would already carry the new price tags.
"I was told by the purchase manager about the prices being reduced," said Ali Mirza, a pharmacist at Al Kausar pharmacy in Al Barsha.
"The ministry has sent a memo to suppliers with the new price list and the agents will come in and put new barcodes on the old stock."
Dr Al Amiri said he expected the changes at about 2,000 pharmacies across the Emirates would take time.
Some customers were divided about whether the new prices were affordable.
Youssef Abu Issa, 29, of Jordan, said he found the prices higher than in his home country.
"It is a good thing that they are being reduced," Mr Abu Issa said.
Milena Mokhnyova, 26, of Uzbekistan, agreed.
"It is a great thing that the price of medications are being reduced even if some people are covered by insurance," Ms Mokhnyova said.
econroy@thenational.ae
balqabbani@thenational.ae
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final second leg:
Juventus 1 Ajax 2
Ajax advance 3-2 on aggregate
ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures
October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA
Brief scores:
Liverpool 3
Mane 24', Shaqiri 73', 80'
Manchester United 1
Lingard 33'
Man of the Match: Fabinho (Liverpool)
Read more about the coronavirus
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Basquiat in Abu Dhabi
One of Basquiat’s paintings, the vibrant Cabra (1981–82), now hangs in Louvre Abu Dhabi temporarily, on loan from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
The latter museum is not open physically, but has assembled a collection and puts together a series of events called Talking Art, such as this discussion, moderated by writer Chaedria LaBouvier.
It's something of a Basquiat season in Abu Dhabi at the moment. Last week, The Radiant Child, a documentary on Basquiat was shown at Manarat Al Saadiyat, and tonight (April 18) the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is throwing the re-creation of a party tonight, of the legendary Canal Zone party thrown in 1979, which epitomised the collaborative scene of the time. It was at Canal Zone that Basquiat met prominent members of the art world and moved from unknown graffiti artist into someone in the spotlight.
“We’ve invited local resident arists, we’ll have spray cans at the ready,” says curator Maisa Al Qassemi of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi's Canal Zone Remix is at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Thursday April 18, from 8pm. Free entry to all. Basquiat's Cabra is on view at Louvre Abu Dhabi until October
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Mountain%20Boy
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Zainab%20Shaheen%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Naser%20Al%20Messabi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sav%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Purvi%20Munot%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24750%2C000%20as%20of%20March%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Angel%20investors%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
What is Genes in Space?
Genes in Space is an annual competition first launched by the UAE Space Agency, The National and Boeing in 2015.
It challenges school pupils to design experiments to be conducted in space and it aims to encourage future talent for the UAE’s fledgling space industry. It is the first of its kind in the UAE and, as well as encouraging talent, it also aims to raise interest and awareness among the general population about space exploration.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5