The Rural Physicians Society (RDS) wants the government to end its monopoly on antiviral drugs, to ensure the country has enough to treat Covid-19 patients and bring down the price.
The RDS has proposed which the monopolies on favipiravir, molnupiravir and paxlovid be scrapped and the private sector be permitted to import these antiviral drugs.
In a Facebook submit on Tuesday, the particular RDS said, “The government gave the monopoly to the Authorities Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) to produce and acquire favipiravir and kept marketing its dream that will Thailand will produce the antiviral supplements and have enough materials for hospitals. The monopoly was afterwards extended to cover molnupiravir and paxlovid, resulting in a shortage of antiviral drugs to combat the coronavirus disease.
“In fact, there is no worldwide shortage of the antiviral drugs, but Thailand is facing a shortage because of monopolies, ” The RDS said. “If the general public Health Ministry just issues an statement ending the GPO’s monopolies, the problem will be instantly solved.
“This is the same lesson as Covid-19 vaccines, that the government provided a monopoly to the GPO, causing a shortage of shot. Even though the private sector wanted to import Noua vaccine, they could not do so because of the monopoly. Stopping monopolies may end the drug shortage. ”
The RDS said the GPO produced small amounts associated with favipiravir and moved to importing the drug as it has been cheaper. The RDS asked why the Public Health Ministry had to prohibit the private sector from importing the antiviral medications.
Enabling private firms to import favipiravir plus molnupiravir would eventually lead to cheaper prices and tackle the particular shortage, the society said.
The society earlier warned that the flow of favipiravir was running out amid increasing Covid-19 infections.
On This summer 15, the GPO insisted that it was continuing t make daily deliveries of favipiravir to open public hospitals and wellness services nationwide.