Bangladesh slashes prices of 49 types of coronary stents

A cash memo must include the stent's name, maximum retail price and manufacturer's name, authorities say

The government has reduced the prices of 49 types of heart rings or coronary stents used in treating heart disease from 29 importers, marking the second such move since February.

On Tuesday, the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) finalised the revised maximum retail price of the stents and instructed the importers to comply.

The DGDA also sent a copy of the order to the director general of the Directorate General of Health Services.

According to the latest price adjustment, the rates of different models of stents have been reduced by between Tk 1,000 and Tk 47,800.

When blood flow through the artery is blocked, a stent or coronary stent is placed through angioplasty to help maintain the heart's normal functions. Commonly, this is known as a "ring”.

The decision came at a meeting of the health ministry on May 13.

The price of the “Silene Covered Stent” has dropped to Tk 62,000, down from nearly Tk 101,000.

The price of the “Magma Rapamycin” stents has also been reduced from Tk 37,000 to Tk 30,000.

The price of the Cre-8 stent has been slashed by Tk 6,000 to Tk 50,000.

The stents, the DGDA said, should be purchased and sold following the maximum retail price and they cannot be included in the treatment package.

A cash memo should be given with the name of the stent, maximum retail price and manufacturer's name, the directive says.

The used stent packet should be provided to the patient, it adds.