Affordability main focus: PM directs Drap to devise new drug pricing policy

The federal Cabinet has directed devising a new drug pricing policy within two months, as the current prices in Pakistan are above the affordable level of general masses. This was revealed before the sub-committee of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Health Services, Regulation and Coordination.

The committee met with Dr Nisar Ahmed Cheema in the chair Friday to evaluate the performance of Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) with special focus on quality assurance of raw material and end products, registration of pharmaceutical companies and drugs and pricing of drugs. Nasir Khan Musa Zai of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said that drugs prices in Pakistan are above the affordable level of general public as industry increases prices in connivance with DRAP.

He said that recent increase in drugs prices gave a chance to opposition parties as well as general public to criticize the government for it. He proposed that a uniform benchmark should be set for the same molecule which would help in controlling drugs prices and avoid too much interference in prices.

The chief executive officer (CEO) DRAP said that during the last cabinet meeting the Prime Minister directed to work out a new drug pricing policy within two weeks. He said that the recommendation of the committee in this regard would be taken into consideration.

The director pricing revealed that up to 75 percent increase in drugs prices was allowed with the nod of the federal cabinet and policy board's approval. He said that there were a total of 889 drugs, of which prices of 395 were reduced, prices of 464 medicines were increased and prices of 30 drugs remained more or less the same. He further admitted that prices of some drugs were increased by around 400 percent. The director further said that as per the cabinet's directives, the prices of 78 drugs where more than 75 percent increase were made, were reduced up to 75 percent. The prices of 386 drugs were increased up to 75 percent and were not changed later, he added.

The committee directed to present the cabinet decision with respect to 75 percent increase in drugs prices, besides an analysis/impact of per drug cost after the increase in prices by January 2, 2020. The committee was further informed that 16 drug manufacturers refused to decrease prices.

The committee also directed for observing international standard in drugs manufacturing without compromising on quality and standard. Dr Nausheen Hamid, Parliamentary Secretary National Health Services Regulations and Coordination (NHSRC), said that donated hemophilia drugs are coming to the country, but where the expiry deadline is less than six months, these are returned back from the airports.

According to the rules, drugs with less than six months expiry period remaining could not be imported, she further said and recommended that this period should be revised to three months. The committee endorsed the proposal of the parliamentary secretary and recommended DRAP to allow hemophilia drugs imports with up to three months expiry deadline.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019