... it is expected to bring down the prices of drugs at least by 60 %...
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... it is expected to bring down the prices of drugs at least by 60 %...
Current practice of parallel importation in Kenya
Currently , PI is not structured and is only based on individual orders .
If a hospital or doctor , for instance , indicates a need for a certain drug which cannot be obtained locally or is available but at an exorbitant cost , a licensed importer would make an application and a decision to allow importation would be madeby the PPB to bring in just enough quantity to serve that specific need .
According to the PPB , the proposed framework will allow the importation on a wider scale to serve the needs of many potential users . This must come as a huge relief to many pharmacists who have for long hoped to be allowed to import these products which have been considered to benefit a select few .
During the interview , Dr . Toroitich was quick to explain that allowing parallel importation is not similar to allowing substandard drugs into the country . Instead , the policy is meant to allow entry of cheaper drug products into the country without compromising on their quality .
“ Parallel importation indeed is not a quality issue but one of commercial in nature , it allows the country to take advantage of price differentials of drugs in different geographic markets to avail the drugs cheaply within the Kenyan market ,” he said .
“ This is to help those in need of the drugs yet they cannot afford the cost of brand treatment because the drugs are either unavailable or they are very expensive ,” stressed the Head of Trade Affairs .
The Proposed Framework for Parallel Importation of Medicine document is available online at the PPB website
Legitimacy for parallel importation of pharmaceutical can be traced to flexibilities afforded by World Trade Organization agreements negotiated at the end of the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade ( GATT ) in 1994 .
Parallel importation of pharmaceuticals is one of several flexibilities contained in the World Trade Organization trade agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights ( TRIPS ) with opportunities for application for public health purposes . From a public health perspective , Dr . Toroitich said that developed and developing countries not only have the flexibilities to utilize and facilitate the utilisation of TRIPS flexibilities for public health purposes but as an obligation .
It is against this background that the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Kenyais obligated to implement policies that are supportive of the utilisation of these TRIPS flexibilities for the benefit of Kenyans .
Through implementation of this policy , PPB anticipates bringing down the prices of branded medicine by at least 60 per cent , offering hope of affordable healthcare .
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