Low-income expats flock to groceries to buy medicines

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KUWAIT CITY, Jan 14: While groceries are witnessing a demand from low income people to buy some of their needs such as some types of medicine such as pain relievers, and colds, health sources called for finding appropriate solutions to the reasons that prompted this segment to resort to groceries and not pharmacies, bearing in mind that these groceries are violating the laws because they are not authorized to sell medicines, reports Al-Rai daily.

The sources pointed out that the expatriates who buy medicines from groceries cannot buy a full box of medicines and they feel what they buy from groceries suffices the need to treat the symptoms of the disease with one or two pills instead of buying the whole packet that costs more than one dinar while a headache can be cured with just one tablet.

Sources say the most appropriate solution is to go for small packages or allow pharmacies to sell retail in line with the variables of the demographics and the inability of a large part of the low-income segment of the expatriates to purchase the full packet.

The sale of some types of medicines in groceries has become a reality, despite the conditions of storage and preservation which may not comply with health requirements, or violate the drug pricing or even the expiry date.

The sources pointed out that in spite of the decision issued by the Drug Inspection Administration to allow the sale of some types of medicines that do not need a prescription in cooperative societies and central markets, with a condition they are placed on the shelves out of the reach of children, the decision does not include groceries, which may make them immune to competent regulatory authorities.

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