BPS Admits Skyrocketing Prices Make Drug Inflation Soar

Illustration of drugs. (Unsplash/Myriam Zilles)

JAKARTA - Head of the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) Margo Yuwono admits that the rising prices of medicines and health products in recent times have made the inflation rate in medical commodities unavoidable.

"Inflation in medicinal products and health products during January to July 2021 is 1.34 percent," he said in an online press conference, Monday, August 2.

In his notes, when compared to the same period the previous year (year-on-year/yoy), the amount of inflation will soar to 3.14 percent.

"(The increase) is very strong," he said.

According to Margo, there are several types of drugs that have been observed to increase in a number of regions in the country.

"Drugs that have increased in several cities include cough medicine, liniment, cold medicine, and fever-reducing medicine and vitamins," he said.

To note, the amount of inflation in drugs and medical products is classified as very high when compared to the general inflation rate.

On that occasion, Margo also revealed that inflation in July 2021 compared to June 2021 was .08 percent. The book brought the accumulated inflation during the current year (January-July) to 0.81 percent.

Meanwhile, the year-on-year inflation rate (July 2021 to July 2020) is said to be at the level of 1.52 percent.