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ISLAMABAD:
The parliamentarians called upon the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination (NHSRC) and Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) to take stern action against pharmaceutical companies who are plundering masses by increasing prices of medicines unilaterally.
Senate’s Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Chairman Senator Sijjad Hussain, while chairing the meeting, urged that substitute of medicines whose prices have been hiked should be given to the people. The committee strongly condemned the price hike by pharmaceutical companies and demanded for reversal of rates immediately. He also asked the government not to give any relaxation to these companies.
Parliamentarians noted that the extra burden had been put on the common man after unilateral increase in medicines prices by pharmaceutical companies. Committee also approved Pakistan Health Research Council Bill-2015 and hoped that it would help research in health sector in professional manner.
The committee also directed NHSRC to issue a list of those medicines whose prices have been hiked so that it could be distinguished whether prices of hepatitis-c medicines were also increased or not.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 20th, 2016.
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