Pharmafinder: The Ultimate Medic, Pharmacist And Patient Connector
By Felix Njenga
A disturbing trend of price gouging by a section of pharmacists has been uncovered, with essential medicines marked up over 300 per cent above recommended retail prices.
Many Kenyans do not know how much a prescription costs until they get to the pharmacy. When they pick it up, they get shocked by the high price.
For years, Kenya’s free-market drug pricing policy has operated with minimal oversight, ostensibly to foster competition and lower prices.
To curb the unchecked greed and callous disregard for human suffering a Kenyan start-up www.pharmafinder.co.ke has come in to help both patient and doctors get real-time recommended price of medication.
“By visiting the platform one can get information which ranges from the different brands of medicine, their generic information and their manufacturer’s recommended prices,”Kimani Gitau the founder said.
Kimani during an interview said that medication costs may not be on the doctor’s mind while prescribing certain medications for people with chronic illnesses. Unless the patient brings it up, they may end up with a prescription that costs more than they expect or can afford.
“Your doctor may prescribe a medication without knowing its cost. That’s why it’s smart to talk to your doctor about your medicine,’ he said.
He said that with the platform Kenyans can now compare prices of the different medicine brands of the same generic, in the Kenyan market, generic and branded. The platform also includes descriptions about the drug’s mechanism of action, side effects and the uses of the medicine and manufacturing companies or agents.
He said that it is imperative to establish stringent regulations to prevent price gouging and ensure fair pricing practices within the pharmaceutical industry.
He said it is within this backdrop that made him come up with this information and make it available to the public and doctors to assist them in better management of their medication costs and ultimately overall healthcare costs.
The Association of Kenya Insurers (AKI) estimates that 45 per cent of a patient’s bills is drug costs.
He said that talking to a doctor about medical costs can also stretch one’s outpatients and inpatient insurance medical cover aiding in reducing the cost of healthcare and reducing a patient’s financial burden once the insurance cover is exhausted and they have to pay out of pocket.
“You could feel awkward or embarrassed at first. If your appointments are rushed, you may feel like there’s not enough time. But talking about your concerns, especially if you’re struggling with prescription costs, helps them understand your needs and give you better care,” he said.
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