UAE patients pay four-fold more for drugs, claims HAI

A snap-shot price comparison has found that patients in the United Arab Emirates pay at least four times more for a branded drug than its generic version available in retail pharmacies.  The one-day survey was conducted by Health Action International (HAI), an independent global network working to increase access to medicines, across 93 countries on November 30 last year.

The Dutch Non-Government Organization with over 200 members from 70 countries surveyed the 'one-day price' of a common antibiotic, ciprofloxacin, off patent for more than five years now and available in several generic versions worldwide. On the day of the survey, a seven-day course of the originator drug was available in the UAE for $48.59, while the lowest priced generic version was available for only $12.77.

The survey also found that consumers in the Eastern Mediterranean region paid 10.6 times more on average for ciprofloxacin, an antibacterial used to treat common infections. The usual adult administration, at two doses daily, can extend from a week to 14 days.