Medicine overpricing
PEOPLE cannot overemphasize the importance of government authorities hitting hard at unscrupulous individuals and business firms caught overpricing medicines.
In the view of many, particularly the poorest the poor, the overpricing of medicines is an unsconscionable act that should be punished to the fullest extent of our laws.
What’s needed at this time of economic hardship, when millions of people are jobless due to the pandemic, is for the government is to bring down the prices of drugs.
This, after the reported shortage of certain brands of flu and cold medications following the spike in COVID-19 cases in the country, notably in Metropolitan Manila.
Note that the symptoms of flu are highly identical to COVID-19 symptoms, like fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, muscle or body pains, headaches and fatigue.
The Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) were quick to assure the consuming public that there is no paracetamol shortage.
In fact, the two agencies assured the Filipino people that there are other brands of analgesic available in the local market, drawing cheers from various quarters.
Despite the assurance, the public still wants government authorities to make sure that drugstore owners and their pharmacists caught overpricing medicines “are punished.”
“Ito lang ang tanging paraan para magtanda ang lahat ng mga nagpapahirap sa taumbayan sa oras ng kagipitan,” said a furious barangay official.
Hopefully, the ordinary citizens, like other well-meaning Filipinos, also wake up to their responsibility to report the nefarious activities of erring drugstores.
