Ministry of Health cuts prices on 142 medicines

Prices have been reduced for more than 100 drugs starting on the first day of the new year, the Ministry of Health has said.

Prices for 142 drugs will be reduced starting on Friday, the Ministry of Health announced.

The price cuts range from 2 per cent to 63 per cent of last year’s prices and include medicines for cancer treatment, immunosuppression, gynaecology, urinary tract infections, blood diseases and central nervous disorders, said Dr Amin Al Amiri, assistant undersecretary for public policy and licensing at the ministry.

Costs of more than 8,000 drugs have been reduced by the ministry since July 2011.

The move will provide patients more options at affordable prices, he said, contributing to eliminating counterfeit and smuggled medicines. It will also boost the medicine market in the UAE, he added.

The ministry provided the price list to pharmacies in December and has also published a list of the cuts on its website.