The policy formulated in 1982 had clearly said that the government would control the retail price of drugs and publish it in a gazette form to prevent selling of drugs at additional prices but the obligation to control the retail price of drugs was withdrawn in the policy of 2005.

Taking the advantage of new drug policy, different pharmaceutical companies are selling the same drug at different prices, experts said.

Although a top source of Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries (BAPI), who was also a member of Drug Policy Committee 2005, said retail price of 500 mg Ciprofloxacin is Tk 10.00, the correspondent found consumers buying it for Tk 14.00. Production cost of this antibiotic is only Tk 1.70.

A drug policy is supposed to direct how the prices of drugs would be fixed on the basis of raw materials and packaging materials.

But except in case of some 117 commonly used essential drugs, there is no control over price whereas around 200 companies are manufacturing drugs of more than 14,000 brand names, said Sayedur Rahman Khosru, an associate professor of the Department of Pharmacology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University.

"The drug policy formulated in 2005 does not respond to the people's interest and it is not a policy at all," said Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury, Projects Coordinator of Gonoshasthya Kendra, who was also a member of Drug Policy Committee in 1982.

The faulty policy creates anarchy in drug market that has been flooded with unnecessary and harmful drugs, he said, adding that while the increased price of drugs leads to smuggling of drugs worth Tk 700 to 1,000 crore every year only from India, the average yearly export income of pharmaceutical companies is Tk 122 crore only.

The flawed drug policy also failed to identify and ban harmful and redundant drugs and instead of taking strict import control measures, the multinational companies have been allowed free access to the country's drug market.

It lacks a list of essential drugs and there is no specific guideline to protect the country's public health, experts said, adding that instead of taking steps to ensure reasonable and safe use of drugs, the new policy accorded indiscriminate approval for manufacturing and marketing of drugs, and failed to encourage development in the field of traditional medicine.

The policy has no specific guideline for protecting the country's public health and pharmaceutical sector from the onslaught of ETO, GATT and TRIPS, which would be implemented in Bangladesh in 2016 by establishing patent right.

The situation will lead to excessive price of medicines, experts said.

"The drug policy prepared in 2005 goes against the interest of people. It will benefit only the importers and manufacturers," said Prof ABM Faroque of the Department of Pharmacy, Dhaka University.

Admitting increased facilities in manufacturing drugs under the current policy, BAPI Secretary General Nazmul Hasan said it provides facilities for foreign manufacturers to produce drugs in this country through technology transfer.

But he claimed that other things in the policy have remained as before.

However, Health Secretary Ehsanul Fattah said a process is going on to form a committee comprising eminent doctors and pharmacists to re-examine the drug policy of 2005.

He said the committee will be completed within a month.

Experts hailed the initiative to review the current drug policy, the stated purpose of which is making the country a drug producing and exporting country, and competing in global market by bringing technological advancement in drug industry.

The policy should aim at ensuring public health and the main focus should be providing necessary, quality drugs at affordable prices, they said.