The Ministry of National Regulations and Services is all set to submit a summary to the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) related to introduction of a new pricing mechanism for the medicines/ drugs tied to inflation.
This was stated by Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Minister for the Ministry of National Regulations and Services while responding to a query of Senator Abdul Haseeb Khan in the Senate Standing Committee on Ministry of National Regulations and Services that soon after the proper notification of rules of business and appointment of a new CEO, the Pricing Board will be established.
"For new pricing mechanism, the ministry is in close contact with the stakeholders including the pharmaceutical sector". The standing committee was chaired by Senator Syed Zafar Ali Shah. Imtiyaz Anayat Elahi, Secretary of the Ministry of National Regulations and Services, Senator Karim Ahmed Khwaja, Senator Almas Parveen, Senator Khalida Parveen also attended the meeting.
Firdous Ashiq Awan said, "The Drug Regulatory Authority Ordinance (DRAO) will expire in October 2012 and we want a proper legislation to give it the shape of an 'Act' before it expires". "The pharmaceutical sector is growing gradually with 20 percent growth rate. Overall foreign investment has gone down in Pakistan, but pharmaceutical sector is the only sector that is bringing in new investment", she added.
The Federal minister said, "We have decided to re-inspect and re-assess 19 medical colleges that have already been registered across the country to ensure transparency in each case". She claimed that the candidates short listed after the advertisement published for the appointment of a Chief Executive Officer (CEO), were having numerous recommendation letters while the ministry wanted a candidate purely on merit.
"The advertisement for the appointment of CEO will be again published in newspaper soon to select CEO on merit basis," she mentioned. Imtiyaz Anayat Elahi told the committee that after the devolution of Ministry of Health, various functions of health which could not be transferred to provinces had to be retained by the Federal government. Drug Regulatory Agency of Pakistan, Pakistan Medical and Dental Council, Pharmacy Council of Pakistan, Pakistan Council for Nursing, National Council for Homeopathy, National Council for Tibb, Directorate of Central Health Establishment, Central Board of Film Censors, Pakistan Red Crescent Society, Pakistan College of Physicians and Surgeons are the departments that are being headed by the newly established Ministry of National Regulations and Services.
Haseeb Khan said, "There are around 1000 medicines that are being sold at high prices and have a considerable difference between the cost of production and the price at which these are being sold in the domestic market. These companies are making billions of rupees per annum profit with additional burden on poor masses". "The Drug Regulatory Authority Ordinance (DRAO) that was promulgated by the President, Asif Ali Zardari on February 17, 2012 was different from the Ordinance that was formulated by the senators. Nargis Sathi, Secretary Cabinet was the main person who replaced the word 'Drug Regulatory Authority' present in DRAO with the word 'Drug Regulatory Agency' that changed the meaning of the authority that was proposed by the senators", Haseeb Khan said criticising bureaucracy.