THE setting of maximum retail prices for Covid-19 medicines is at odds with the laws of supply and demand. Signed on July 3, Health Minister Regulation HK.01.07/MENKES/4826/2021 for 11 drugs had led to shortages in the last few weeks.

Perhaps the aim of setting these prices was to ensure that the medicines were affordable and to prevent retailers going all out to maximize their profits. What actually happened was that retailers stopped selling the