
KHAIRUR:
There is a huge drug market in Pakistan and a lot of drugs with the same generic name are available with many trade names and different prices. A physician is always in a fix as to which specific drug should be prescribed to patients for better results. From a patient’s perspective, however, it is not just about better results but also about affordability due to the vast difference in the prices of the same drug manufactured by different pharmaceutical companies. Like other sincere physicians, I too fail understand the policy made by the Federal Ministry of Health which has given approval to different pharmaceutical companies to prepare the same drug with different prices. This policy needs to be reviewed by the government in order to curb the issue of inflation.
I think the Federal Ministry of Health should summon the relevant pharmaceutical companies and ask them to submit their prices in a bid for approval of same drug. Then the lowest bid should be approved, keeping in view the quality of the drug. This will regulate prices and ensure healthy competition. The health ministry should adopt a "One Drug, One Price” policy for all the drugs available in Pakistan.