LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday suspended the notification of fixing the prices of life-saving medicines.
The court has asked all parties, including the interim Punjab government, to give answers on next hearing.
Justice Shahid Karim presided over the case initiated by citizen Aslam, who argued that the government’s notification to fix medicine prices contradicted existing laws and would likely lead to increased medication costs.
Aslam contended that the caretaker government lacked the authority to make such decisions, especially considering the imminent transition to a democratically elected government. Highlighting the constitutional concerns surrounding the notification, the court suspended its implementation until the final decision is reached.
In a related development, the federal government recently announced a hike in prices for 146 crucial life-saving drugs, a decision conveyed through an official notification. These adjustments primarily target medications vital for treating conditions like cancer, vaccines, and antibiotics.
According to Health Ministry officials, the decision was made on the recommendations presented by the Drug Regulatory Authority, focusing on raising prices for 262 medicines. However, the government opted to implement increases for only 146 medicines deemed critical for saving lives.
Out of these medications, 116 are designated for direct management by pharmaceutical corporations in terms of price modifications.
Notably, to maintain the public’s access to essential prescriptions, the government plans to maintain price restrictions over 464 medicines that are included in the National Essential Medicines List.
