“I did not speak to any one from Al-Riyadh newspaper stating that we have received complaints concerning price increases on medicines,” Dr. Saleh Bawazir told Arab News, adding that he has not received even one complaint concerning drug prices and reiterated that it is impossible for local pharmacies to increase prices illegally.
Bawazir said prices of medicines are already set and registered with the SFDA before they arrive in the Kingdom.
He added that prices in local pharmacies are strictly monitored by a recently established committee within the SFDA, as well as by the organization’s laboratory located at Jeddah Islamic Port.
“All imported medicines approved for use in the Kingdom have the registration number, origin, manufacturer’s name and price printed on the box and they are strictly checked,” Bawazir said, adding that concerned consumers wishing do a price check may do so online at the SFDA website, which contains a complete list of approved medicines and their prices.
Bawazir said that if any consumer does find prices to be inaccurate, they may lodge a complaint at the SFDA website, after which an investigation will be carried out.
Nonetheless, he reiterated that there have been no complaints about price hikes to speak of. The only products not already pre-priced upon import are herbal medicines and health items such as vitamins, Bawazir said.
“For these items, consumers must compare prices in local stores and shop around for the best bargains,” Bawazir said. He urged local consumers at last week’s World Health Organization (WHO) conference not to purchase medication via the Internet.
“[The law] does not allow for the buying of medical formulas or medicines via telephone or the Internet,” Bawazir said.
He added that recent SFDA studies have found conclusive data that up to half of Internet sites selling medicines are fake.
“Many local consumers, while shopping online, only see the cheap prices of vitamins and other medicines and do not know that many of the products could be fake,” Bawazir said.
“However, from our analysis we have found that many of these products are tainted with chemicals and mixed with harmful ingredients.”
He further stated that the SFDA would allow medicines from abroad to be imported into the Kingdom only when they are not available locally and necessary in treating an illness.
However, permission must be obtained from the SFDA first. Upon receiving the medicine, an inspection for quality and safety will be done. If found safe, the medicine will be approved for import. If the medicine arrives and permission is then sought, the SFDA would have to refuse the request, he said.
