Prices of some of them are 10 percent higher than in other provinces, and some even are 40 percent higher.
The Vietnam Social Insurance Company has asked its sub-division in Binh Dinh to liaise with the Department of Health to adjust prices of bid-winning medicines at same level with other provinces.
As per the report of Social Insurance Company in Binh Dinh, in June, director of the Department of Health approved the result of drug provider selection after large procurement tenders for all medicine.
Moreover, as per the procurement plan, generic drugs will be supplied to medical clinics in the province from the second quarter of 2017 to end of the first quarter of 2018.
Nevertheless, through checking, the local insurance company has discovered prices of bid-winning medicine are sharply higher than in other provinces.
The Department of Health in BInh Dinh Province answered that the provincial People’s Committee has set up an unit to supervise bidding procedure. The departments of Finance, Investment and Planning, and even the local Social Insurance Company all partook in the bidding procedures.
Director of the Department of Health Le Quang Hung said that the local Social Insurance Company has checked and compared prices of bid-winning medicines with one pharmaceutical company six months ago.
Of 126 bid-winning medicines, prices of 124 of them are based on the preference prices on the Vietnam Social Insurance Company’s website.
Moreover, before inviting tenders, the local authorities has had price index of drugs and prices of bid-winning drugs are 22 percent lower than the index.
Mr. Hung added the Department of Health has submitted a document to the People’s Committee explaining the matter.
Before, the Department of Health has sent its written document on extraordinary hike of bid-winning medicines to 18 contractors asking to reduce the prices.
At present, seven contractors agreed to cut the prices of 40/95 items from 2 - 37 percent while eight others disagree to lower the price. Three other contractors have not answered in written document to the Department.
