The National Drug System Development Committee has added more drugs to the national list of essential medicines that patients can benefit from free of charge.
Deputy Prime Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong said yesterday the committee had increased access to more than 20 essential drugs on the national list, which catalogues the drugs, vaccines and radioactive substances available to those in need.
Some of the new drugs include injectable drugs for severe psychiatric patients, drugs for smoking cessation, and drugs for abortion as per Thai law, which permits abortions up to 20 weeks into a pregnancy, he said.
The committee also announced the median prices of 53 drugs, which could help the government save about 170 million baht in drug expenses, Mr Prasert said.
The committee has also announced a plan to accelerate the health product economy, which will target health product groups, including biological medicines, herbs, and medical devices, to invest or co-invest in production in Thailand as a national policy.
"There are health products with high market value, including those backed by manufacturers with research and development plans, such as advanced medical products, herbal extracts, and artificial intelligence medical devices," he said.