LAHORE, Sept 13: The price of an essential medicine for the treatment of skin infections has increased by 50 per cent between the last two and three weeks. Doctors said on Wednesday that the price of 100 ampoules of injection Lincomicin 600mg per 2ml used for skin diseases like boils and furuncles had increased from Rs270 to Rs400 as its huge quantity was being supplied to the parts of Sindh where an epidemic broke out after heavy rains and floods.

“Though some four medicines of this salt are available in the market, they are very expensive,” they said.

They informed that the prices of two other commonly used medicines - 1,000 capsules of Oxytetracycline, an anti-biotic for flue, upper respiratory tract infection and gastroenteritis, and 1,000 tablets of Mefenamic acid, a painkiller, anti-piratic and anti-inflammatory, had been soared from Rs225 to Rs245 and Rs112 to Rs145, respectively.

There has also been variation in the price of IV Fluids (Ringer’s lactate 1,000 cc or 500 c). The medicine used for gastroenteritis patients was available in the market at Rs320 per box of 10 drips in May/June this year.

However, its price jumped to Rs640 per box at the arrival of monsoon. Though the monsoon is at its fag end, its price has reduced to Rs550 only.

The increase shows that the government has no control over the prices of essential drugs. “It seems that pharmaceutical companies, with the connivance of health ministry, increase the prices of commonly used medicines and often create artificial shortage of such medicines in order to make maximum profit,” says a senior doctor.

He pointed out that price increase of certain medicines depended upon the change of season. Giving an example, he said the price of IV Fluids doubled at the start of monsoon and same was case with other essential medicines.

He explained that the prices of loose-pack medicines like paracetamol (for fever), biclofenac soqium (pain) and indomet halin (pain) had increased by 150 per cent during the last one year, showing the government’s inability to control the price hike.