ISLAMABAD: Prices of non-essential medicines are likely to increase in Pakistan as pharmaceutical companies have been empowered to regulate the prices. A notification in this regard has been issued after the federal cabinet approved the deregulation of non-essential medicine rates from the Ministry of Health, a local TV reported on Monday.
The pharmaceutical companies have been empowered to fix rates of non-essential drugs, however they cannot regulate the medicines enlisted in the National Essential Medicine List. There are 464 drugs enlisted in the NEML.
The prices of life-saving medicines would still be regulated by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP). The cabinet in its earlier meeting accorded approval to the deregulation of drugs which are not included in the NEML on the recommendation of the Ministry of Health.
Under the proposals, prices of drugs other than essential medicines in the national list would be exempted from the Drugs Act, of 1976 and required amendments would be made in the Drug Pricing Policy 2018.
Prices of Life-saving Drugs
It is to be noted that the federal cabinet in its February 2 meeting approved the increase in prices of 146 essential life-saving drugs, keeping in view the rising rates of their raw material in the international market.
The meeting was informed by the Ministry of National Health Services and DRAP that through the online portal of the Authority, people could lodge complaints regarding the non-availability of drugs in the market.
In the meeting, Prime Minister Anwar ul Haq Kakar instructed to compile the recommendations for required legislation for regulating drug rates and its onward presentation before the Parliament by the next elected government.
