Government has yet to decide whether to devolve the health ministry along with its crucial role including fixing drug prices, registration, quality control and licensing process to the provinces, it is learnt. The government has decided to devolve the health ministry to the provinces under 18th constitutional amendment, however, devolution of some important functions of the ministry is yet to be decided.
Whether these roles would go to the provinces or the federal government is causing uncertainty in the pharmaceutical industry as well as government circles, informed sources in the health ministry revealed to Business Recorder. They informed that a crucial meeting has been convened on Saturday (today) at the ministry where all stakeholders would participate and give proposals regarding the transfer of important functions of the ministry.
Asad Hafeez, Director General and spokesperson of the health ministry told Business Recorder that different proposals are under consideration to evolve a process for the smooth devolution of the ministry. However, final decision is yet to be taken, he added. He further said that a meeting of the ministry with the Implementation Commission on 18th Constitutional Amendment is likely to be held next week, wherein different proposals regarding some important functions of the ministry would be tabled. The committee has yet to take a final decision on the matter, he added.
Talking to Business Recorder, Haroon Qassim, Chairman Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Association (PPMA) said that a proposal has been sent to the government to constitute Drug Regulatory Authority (DRA) to handle issues like licensing, registration and pricing after the introduction of 18th amendment. "The main object of DRA will be to implement uniform drug price mechanism, uniform quality control and licensing process in the country", he said, adding that health secretaries of all four provinces, PPMA and other stakeholders should be included in the drug regulatory authority.
Qassim opined that if the health ministry is transferred to the provinces along-with the important roles, it would create issues and may lead to the collapse of the industry. Similarly, it will cause confusion among doctors and patients about the brand names of different drugs manufactured in different provinces.