Drug cost? what do you think?

As one of the biggest country in the world, based on area and number of inhabitant, Indonesia has many problems to solve. Since in the future I’ll be a pharmacist, I concern in medical world’s problem of Indonesia. Drugs is an important part of a medication, and there is a report said that drug’s cost is about 40-80% of all medication cost. But, there is a limitation for people to access suitable drugs cause of the high price of them. This issues has shared and discussed in many forum. Until now, still, the drug which can be easily accessed is for common illness like cough, influenza, etc. Whereas, people who suffer some other widely spread illness like cancer and tuberculosis, still indisposed for taking the drug because of the high costs. However, what kind of illness, whether it’s light or heavy disease, the patients have to able to accessed the suitable drugs.

This issue is like a chain which seems like never end. Lack of drug’s research based in Indonesia, unavailability of raw material, promotion cost, rivalry between pharmaceutical industry, and lack of information about drugs for common people are the main causes of the high drug’s cost. To solve those all, we need support and contribution from all parts, pharmacist, doctor, industry, also common people. In addressing this issue, I would like to render my opinion. I’m interested in two aspects, role of BPOM in regulating the drug’s distribution  and research based in Indonesia. BPOM is the center of drug distribution regulator, so the role of BPOM in delimit the number and price of drug is really important. We need firmness from BPOM to discipline the number and price of drugs which are revolved in people. BPOM can cooperate with universities to do that together. Formation of committee in university which has pharmacy faculty to help BPOM control drug is a way to always monitoring availability of drug and people take medicine correctly.

                Beside always monitoring the distribution and price of drug, we need to look at upper case, lack of drug research in Indonesia makes us always import drug’s raw material. Whereas, in fact Indonesia is rich of drug material. As the country with 2nd largest biodiversity in the world, Indonesia has big nature wealth. Since the budget allocated for research in Indonesia hasn’t been satisfy enough now, about <0,1% from total Indonesia’s APBN, efficiency is the best solution. The relation between pharmaceutical industry and researcher hasn’t connected well. There are many researches which aren’t useful for people because there aren’t action to process the research become product which can be used directly by people. Existence an organization which can connect pharmaceutical industry and researcher will make effort in a certain direction, what is needed to be researched by reseacher and what research has been done and can be processed more. This organization have to gather information from both side, industry and research, also can give guideline to both of them the requirement of people now. I’m sure the increase of efficient researches and active role from BPOM will help people to get more economic drugs.

as I describe before, this issue is big problem in Indonesia. My thoughts are still 'normative' and  it's an honor for me to hear your ideas and comments :)

yeah grammar acakadut, sekali2 lah haha *kesambet*