Expressing this view, a number of experts said the drug policy was supposed to be an integral part of the National Health Policy but it has virtually become a policy for pharmaceutical industries.

The new policy appears to concentrate more on exploitation of drug export potential then on the common man's access to drugs, they said.

Pointing to drug registration procedure, one expert said, "It is fairly easy to get drugs registered in Bangladesh unlike in developed countries."

A leading microbiologist said, "Bangladesh already has over 900 drugs of 15,000 brands registered, which are sufficient to meet almost all health needs of the country. Now only the new drugs with clear therapeutic superiority over the existing ones should be registered and those should also be affordable."

At least 20 to 30 new drugs on an average get approval at every meeting of the Drug Control Committee that usually meets every three months, some experts pointed out.

"Safety and efficacy of every new drug, imported or locally manufactured, should be properly studied before registering it. Genetic and racial variations must be taken note of in conducting the study," said a senior teacher at pharmacy department of Dhaka University.

Strongly suggesting review of the current list of essential drugs that include 117 drugs, Dr Md Sayedur Rahman, assistant professor of pharmacology at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, said, "Most commonly used drugs like Ranitidine, Diclofenac and Ciprofloxacine are not on the list of essential drugs, prices of which are controlled."

Experts blamed composition of the regulatory committee for a number of shortcomings of the drug policy. "The committee includes representatives of the owners of drug manufacturing giants, which is unthinkable in any developed countries," one expert said.

They mentioned that Food and Drug Administration of the USA and Medicine Control Authority of the UK does not allow participation of drug manufacturers in the regulatory process. Only in cases of appeal, they can send their representative to argue on their behalf. Some of the experts however sought anonymity.

Nazmul Hassan, secretary general of Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries (BAPI), said, the new policy is a modification of the 1982 Ordinance, and it encourages boosting drug production by local pharmaceutical companies.

On the list of the essential drugs, Nazmul said, " Member countries of the World Health Organisation prepare their own lists based on WHO guidelines."

Dr Jafrullah Chowdhury, who was involved in formulating the 1982 Drug Ordinance, said the new drug policy has not addressed vital issues like cost-effectiveness of drugs.

Prices of most of the non-essential drugs in Bangladesh are quite high, said Jafrullah, who is Coordinator of Gonoshsthya Kendra.

The consumers' representative on the team that formulated the drug policy had quit it as his views were ignored, Jafrullah mentioned.