The Ministry of Health (MoH) has reaffirmed its commitment to implementing the decisions of the Gulf Committee for Drug Pricing at the Gulf Health Council, aiming to balance affordable medication prices with support for the local pharmaceutical sector. In a statement issued Thursday, the ministry explained that the Drug Pricing Committee regularly lowers medicine prices based on studies conducted by the Drug Pricing Department at the Drug Control Sector.
The ministry clarified that the primary reason for these price reductions is the expiration of patents for innovative drugs, which typically leads to price drops of 30 to 80 percent, depending on the drug and country. Additionally, the rise of non-innovative generic drugs and therapeutic alternatives in the local market increases competition and further drives down prices. The goal of these reductions is to ensure that both citizens and expatriates have access to medicines at affordable prices, alleviate the financial burden on patients, and reduce medical costs for visitors.
The ministry also explained that when setting drug prices, a variety of factors are considered, including expenses related to clinical trials, research and development, manufacturing, packaging, transportation, storage, and the use of technology in the industry. As a result, the ministry is working on creating flexible pricing models, analyzing market data, and improving the supply chain.