Govt Issues Decree to Fix Ceiling Price for COVID-19 Drugs

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The government has set the ceiling price for drugs used in COVID-19 treatment through the issuance of Health Minister’s Decree No. HK.01.07/MENKES/4826/2021.

"Yesterday afternoon, we have signed the health minister’s decree on the ceiling price of drugs used for the coronavirus disease 2019. This is the ceiling price for medicines sold at drug stores, pharmacies, hospitals, clinics, and healthcare facilities across Indonesia," Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin stated on Saturday.

The drugs used in COVID-19 treatment comprise Favipiravir 200 mg tablet, with the ceiling price set at Rp22,500; Remdesivir 100 mg injection, at Rp510,000 per vial; Oseltamivir 75 mg priced at Rp26,000 per capsule; and Intravenous Immunoglobulin 5 percent 50 ml infusion costing Rp3,262,300.

The others used in the treatment of COVID-19 patients are intravenous Immunoglobulin 10 percent 25 ml infusion at Rp3,965,000; Intravenous Immunoglobulin 10 percent 50 ml infusion priced at Rp6,174,900; Ivermectin 12 mg tablet at Rp7,500; and Tocilizumab 400 mg/20 ml infusion in vial available for Rp5,710,600.

Tocilizumab 80 mg/4 ml infusion in vial form costing Rp1,162,200; Azithromycin 500 at Rp1,700 per tablet; and Tocilizumab 500 mg infusion at Rp95,400 are others deployed in the COVID-19 treatment regime.

"Those are 11 drugs used during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have set the ceiling price," Sadikin remarked.

The minister explained that the decision seeks to thwart the attempts of speculators to derive high profits that would further hinder the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read also: Tips to Maintain Mental Health for Covid-19 Patients

ANTARA