Is there a right price for medicine?

This photograph taken on July 18, 2017, shows painkilling pills which contain codeine in a pharmacy in Quimper, western France.In France Codeine-based medicines will now be available only on prescription, the Ministry of Health announced on July 18 , to put an end to dangerous and potentially life-threatening addictive practices linked to the misuse of these products. / AFP PHOTO / FRED TANNEAU

RECENTLY, the Health Ministry announced its intention to make prices of medicines available to consumers. The announcement received a mixed response with some viewing it as an attempt at price fixing while others saw it as the right of consumers to know the price.

The cost of medicines is often cited in discussions or complaints about the increasing cost of healthcare. While the cost of medicines is a component of healthcare costs, it is not the sole, and may not even be the major, determinant.