Never pay retail

[reader]

The popular consumer motto "never pay retail" has been embraced by the Thai Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO). Acting against the advice of the Rural Doctors Society, the GPO is going ahead with the purchase of 8.5 million questionable Covid antigen tests at a reported price said to be twice the retail cost.

From Bangkok Post

The battle lines have been drawn between the Rural Doctors Society and the Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO) over the purchases of 8.5 million Covid-19 antigen test kits that the doctors say could cause problems.

The reliability of the brand chosen by the state agency, the doctors say, has been ”controversial on a global scale”.

The rural doctors’ group, through chairman Dr Supat Hasuwannakit, on Saturday issued a statement demanding that the GPO, Rajavithi Hospital and the Ministry of Public Health take full responsibility if they proceed with the purchases.

The conflict involves a request to buy kits by the National Health Security Office (NHSO), the unit responsible for the country’s universal healthcare programme, a legacy of the late Dr Sanguan Nittayarampong, a former chairman of the Rural Doctors Society.

The budget to buy the kits belongs to the NHSO but it cannot make the purchases itself. Since the military coup in 2014, the NHSO has been required to ask Rajavithi Hospital or the GPO to buy medical supplies on its behalf.

The conflict involves a request to buy kits by the National Health Security Office (NHSO), the unit responsible for the country’s universal healthcare programme, a legacy of the late Dr Sanguan Nittayarampong, a former chairman of the Rural Doctors Society.

The budget to buy the kits belongs to the NHSO but it cannot make the purchases itself. Since the military coup in 2014, the NHSO has been required to ask Rajavithi Hospital or the GPO to buy medical supplies on its behalf.

Disappointed, the rural doctors claimed the wholesale price for the Chinese kits was only $1 each or less than 35 baht, but price was not everything, they stressed.

“We maintain ATKs are the heart of Covid containment. We should use kits with high quality and accuracy — those that could reduce or eliminate the need for retesting using RT-PCR. This will save lives, time and budget,” read the statement.

Dr Supat also cited controversies around the Lepu kits.

“While the product was endorsed by Thailand’s Food and Drugs Administration and tested by Ramathibodi Hospital on 150 subjects, its reliability is controversial on a global scale.”

The statement cited as an example a study published in Virology Journal on 33,000 people in Pakistan, which found Lepu had a low sensitivity rate, compared to its 90% claim, and a 48% false-negative chance.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2165315/rural-doctors-oppose-choice-of-test-kits

[PeterRS]

Surely there has to be corruption somewhere in this idiotic decision.

Roughly on the topic of medical costs, I always wonder why a drug I take occasionally for a relatively common condition costs so much more in Thailand when it is not even the original French drug. It is the Thai sanctioned clone version. If I buy it through a doctor in, say, Hong Kong, the cost per pill is around 20 baht with no doctor's fee added. When i buy the Thai clone version in Bangkok at the price mandated by the Ministry of Health, the cost is over 50 baht, plus I have to pay a doctor's fee for the privilege of having had him authorise it.

[vinapu]

9 hours ago, PeterRS said:

Surely there has to be corruption somewhere in this idiotic decision.

Roughly on the topic of medical costs, I always wonder why a drug I take occasionally for a relatively common condition costs so much more in Thailand when it is not even the original French drug. It is the Thai sanctioned clone version. If I buy it through a doctor in, say, Hong Kong, the cost per pill is around 20 baht with no doctor's fee added. When i buy the Thai clone version in Bangkok at the price mandated by the Ministry of Health, the cost is over 50 baht, plus I have to pay a doctor's fee for the privilege of having had him authorise it.

my experience with Thai drug prices is quite opposite, much cheaper than at home and no prescription required.

Earlier this year Thailand  pharmacies played life saver for my nephew as certain epilepsy drug was not available neither in his nor in my country but with help of friend , Thai resident,  we managed to obtain it in BKK over the counter  and cost , even with DHL shipment , was quite reasonable