Submitted by Old Onion Bag

We are hearing too many cases of persons (old and young) who use drugs on the Barbados Drugs Formulary and  reporting the medication’s ineffectiveness. Many times on the call in programs, persons relate their experiences with these so called “cheaper equals” generic drugs placed on the formulary, as alternatives to the original brand name drugs. Two weeks ago, on the CBC Sunday program…Of People and Places, Minister of Health Donville Inniss was most pleased to inform the viewing public of the $12 Million his Ministry has saved, since the implementation of a program of cost saving measures,including substituting of brand name drugs with their cheaper generic.

The question must be asked, savings at what social cost and long term cost Mr. Minister? Savings at the expense of  good healthcare to the county’s citizens? How do we measure such savings anyway? How do you place a price on the cost of a life?

Only when illness reaches one’s door steps and see the pain and suffering of a close family member, then one becomes aware, that things are not right.

A country’s health program is far too important an area to be playing Russian roulette Mr. Minister. Have you given thought to the long run effects of using these inferior drugs? Will they not cost the country more in the long run ? The premature death of a young hypertensive worker cut down in the prime of his or her life takes away productive man-hours of the country. Not to mention the possibility of an epidemic outbreak, through the use of non performing drugs, God forbid.

We are lucky so far  to be spared  the possibility of any such calamity as an outbreak of social communicable diseases like Hepatitis B, which could easily wipe out any measly $12 mil savings sought at the expense of giving proper health care. Can we afford to continue taking such risk Mr. Minister ?