ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel on Monday expressed serious concerns over the massive increase in medicine prices, and recommended a reasonable reduction. The sub-committee of the National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination met with Dr Nisar Ahmad Cheema in the chair, here on Monday.

The committee observed that drugs are no longer affordable for the common man due to the recent massive hike. The parliamentary panel met to discuss and evaluate the performance of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) with special focus on quality assessment of raw materials and end products, registration of drugs and pharmaceutical companies, and pricing of medicines.

The committee members stated that medicines have gone out of the reach of the common people. There is an immediate action required to reduce medicine prices. The committee observed that the DRAP's standard needs to be upgraded at par with the international standards.

There is room for further improvement in the DRAP affairs, parliamentarians recommended. The committee observed that drugs' entire value chain needs to be made at par with international standards by following all the standard operating procedures (SOPs) in import of raw materials and plants. The parliamentary secretary informed the committee that the government has allowed the private sector to import corona vaccines; however, it could be imported by those who could afford.

The committee was further informed that vaccines would be provided free of cost once the government imported it. The panel decided to meet again and further deliberate on the pending issues.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020