An unhealthy amendment?: ‘Bringing the pharma industry down’
Speakers criticise the proposed devolution of the health ministry under the 18th Amendment.
ISLAMABAD:
Setting up of an autonomous Drug Regulatory Authority (DRA) is the need of the hour to save the pharmaceutical industry from collapse, said speakers at a seminar ‘Devolution of Health Sector and its Impacts on Pharmaceutical Industry’ on Monday. It was organised by the Association of Health Journalists in collaboration with the National Forum for Environment and Health (NFEH).
The devolution of the health ministry will cause more harm to the pharma-business, which needs to be addressed, they said.
The participants were of the opinion that with the devolution of drugs and medicines from the federation to provinces, the sector will face massive losses, closure of business and sharp decline in exports.
Dr Nadeem Ehsaan, chairman Standing Committee on Health of the National Assembly, Senator Abdul Haseeb Khan, Dr Doniya Aziz, Dr Shaista Sohail, joint secretary Ministry of Commerce, Barrister Ali Zafar, Haroon Qasim, chairman Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association, Mian Atique, senior vice president Chamber of Commerce Rawalpindi, Dr Kaiser Waheed, president NFEH, Tufail Ahmed, president Association of Health Journalists were the speakers.
According to the Planning Commission of Pakistan, pharmaceutical industry is the third largest of the country. It exports drugs and medicines to over 60 countries and is providing direct and indirect employment to around five million people. It also caters to over 90 per cent of the country’s drug requirements, thus ‘saving enormous foreign exchange’.
“The pharmaceutical industry which had registered a growth of 37 per cent in exports during 2009-10 is likely to be ruined,” a representative from pharmaceutical sector said.
Speaking at the occasion, Chairman PPMA Haroon Qasim said, “The industry may face losses worth billions of rupees due to prevailing uncertainty between the small and large drug manufacturers due to devolution of powers.”
Qasim thought that if there was no autonomous body set up, it would be difficult to keep a check and balance over all the things. There would be no uniformity in prices and unchecked export, import of the drugs would result in massive smuggling, black marketing and shortage in the country, he added.
Qasim said the PPMA took 40 years to develop drug testing and registration mechanism, but it was not possible to create a similar system in the provinces within a year.
Speaking on the occasion Barrister Ali Zafar said, “Our eyes are looking at a huge disaster in the form of 18th amendment and the devolution of health ministry.”
Medicines maybe declared as safe in one province and unsafe for use in another. This will only create confusion among the public over such a serious matter.
“This bafflement could cause serious health hazards which would directly contribute to the rise in morbidity and mortality,” said Zafar.
He said that DRA should be formed and assigned all of these tasks. A 19th amendment to the constitution could also be made to provide for the inclusion of ‘Drugs and Medicines’ in the Federal Legislative List or in the Article 142 (b) of the constitution.
Senator Abdul Haseeb Khan and Dr Doniya Aziz said the endorsement of DRA and a uniform and national strategy could be the best option to deal with the issues related to the drug industry.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Nadeem Ehsaan, said his committee had unanimously suggested that all subjects relating to drug registration, pricing and manufacturing should be a federal subject.
He said the NA Standing Committee on Health will meet Senator Raza Rabbani in the last week of February or in March to discuss these issues and will call a meeting of provincial secretaries of health on the subject the next month.
“We will fight this case in the assembly and with the team of Senator Raza Rabbani,” he told members of the pharmaceutical industry.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 25th, 2011.
Setting up of an autonomous Drug Regulatory Authority (DRA) is the need of the hour to save the pharmaceutical industry from collapse, said speakers at a seminar ‘Devolution of Health Sector and its Impacts on Pharmaceutical Industry’ on Monday. It was organised by the Association of Health Journalists in collaboration with the National Forum for Environment and Health (NFEH).
The devolution of the health ministry will cause more harm to the pharma-business, which needs to be addressed, they said.
The participants were of the opinion that with the devolution of drugs and medicines from the federation to provinces, the sector will face massive losses, closure of business and sharp decline in exports.
Dr Nadeem Ehsaan, chairman Standing Committee on Health of the National Assembly, Senator Abdul Haseeb Khan, Dr Doniya Aziz, Dr Shaista Sohail, joint secretary Ministry of Commerce, Barrister Ali Zafar, Haroon Qasim, chairman Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association, Mian Atique, senior vice president Chamber of Commerce Rawalpindi, Dr Kaiser Waheed, president NFEH, Tufail Ahmed, president Association of Health Journalists were the speakers.
According to the Planning Commission of Pakistan, pharmaceutical industry is the third largest of the country. It exports drugs and medicines to over 60 countries and is providing direct and indirect employment to around five million people. It also caters to over 90 per cent of the country’s drug requirements, thus ‘saving enormous foreign exchange’.
“The pharmaceutical industry which had registered a growth of 37 per cent in exports during 2009-10 is likely to be ruined,” a representative from pharmaceutical sector said.
Speaking at the occasion, Chairman PPMA Haroon Qasim said, “The industry may face losses worth billions of rupees due to prevailing uncertainty between the small and large drug manufacturers due to devolution of powers.”
Qasim thought that if there was no autonomous body set up, it would be difficult to keep a check and balance over all the things. There would be no uniformity in prices and unchecked export, import of the drugs would result in massive smuggling, black marketing and shortage in the country, he added.
Qasim said the PPMA took 40 years to develop drug testing and registration mechanism, but it was not possible to create a similar system in the provinces within a year.
Speaking on the occasion Barrister Ali Zafar said, “Our eyes are looking at a huge disaster in the form of 18th amendment and the devolution of health ministry.”
Medicines maybe declared as safe in one province and unsafe for use in another. This will only create confusion among the public over such a serious matter.
“This bafflement could cause serious health hazards which would directly contribute to the rise in morbidity and mortality,” said Zafar.
He said that DRA should be formed and assigned all of these tasks. A 19th amendment to the constitution could also be made to provide for the inclusion of ‘Drugs and Medicines’ in the Federal Legislative List or in the Article 142 (b) of the constitution.
Senator Abdul Haseeb Khan and Dr Doniya Aziz said the endorsement of DRA and a uniform and national strategy could be the best option to deal with the issues related to the drug industry.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Nadeem Ehsaan, said his committee had unanimously suggested that all subjects relating to drug registration, pricing and manufacturing should be a federal subject.
He said the NA Standing Committee on Health will meet Senator Raza Rabbani in the last week of February or in March to discuss these issues and will call a meeting of provincial secretaries of health on the subject the next month.
“We will fight this case in the assembly and with the team of Senator Raza Rabbani,” he told members of the pharmaceutical industry.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 25th, 2011.