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The government's move to introduce Drug Regulatory Authority (DRA) would bring Pakistan's pharmaceutical sector into a new pricing regime where drug prices would be controlled by the manufacturers instead of the regulators.
This information was given in a press conference arranged by The Network for Consumer Protection, a civil society advocacy group working in public health and consumer protection for the last 14 years, at a press conference, here on Friday.
Tauqeer Mustafa said that a detailed analysis of the proposed DRA Act and framework of the new regulatory authority gives maximum yet totally undue and unjustified leeway to the manufacturers in pricing.
"The drugs are distributed in five categories and separate mechanisms for price control would be working. With the exception of WHO's essential drugs list, all other four categories are left almost unregulated and at the industry's behalf. The self-certification for pricing and third party certification for quality is what the authority's draft is offering, it simply means that quality drugs would be sold at higher prices and availability of essential drugs (direly needed in Pakistan) to all and sundry would not be ensured", he elaborated.
Tauqir while questioning the move to establish new authority termed the action aimed at introducing a new authority as unnecessary and a bid to divert the attention of people from real issues of health sector.
"The loopholes in the framework of the authority show that the new body would privatise the pharmaceutical regulation in the country," he added. The draft of proposed body revealed that the new authority is being devised on the lines that it would result in further mess in terms of further price hike in the chaotic pharmaceutical sector.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2006

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