Patients hassled as medicine prices vary at PGI chemists

Deepankar Sharda

Chandigarh, June 15

With medicine prices varying at medical stores across the PGI campus, patients and their attendants are forced to visit multiple chemists while buying a medicine so that they can save some money.

The prices of medicines, which are unavailable at the Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment (AMRIT) pharmacy, fluctuate the most at private chemists. According to reports, the PGI authorities had decided to upload the prices of drugs (sold at the PGI Emergency) on the hospital’s website along with the discounts available. It was claimed that the institute had ordered that not more than three brands of the same salt will be allowed in the drug store located in the Emergency so that there is no price variation. However, when asked about the implementation of this project, the PGI authorities chose to make no comment.

“The PGI is doing a wonderful job in treating patients, but the authorities should also consider the fact that people are suffering or being looted. While the chemists on the campus offer discounts ranging from 15 per cent to 80 per cent (including the generic medicines), there should be a check on the prices. If that happens, patients or their attendants can buy medicines from the nearest store,” said Atul, a patient.

Another patient said, “Chemists offering discounts on medicines is not a hidden fact and people do reach out to the store that offers the best discount in order to save some money. Leave alone the PGI campus, prices also vary at chemists located in the nearby sectors. This is a national issue and the PGI can become an example by streamlining the prices of life-saving medicines across the campus,” said Poonam, another patient.