Association demands creation of drug regulatory authority

PPMA wants regulation to deal with issues of pharmaceutical industry raised after 18th amendment.

KARACHI: The Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA) has asked the government to formulate a Drug Regulatory Authority (DRA) at federal level to deal with the issues of the pharmaceutical industry raised after the 18th amendment.

Speaking at a seminar on ‘devolution of health sector’ on Friday, PPMA Chairman Haroon Qassim said problems regarding registration and pricing of drugs are lingering even after the 18th amendment which requires regulation of the industry by authorities.

Responding to Qassim’s demand, Muttahida Qaumi Movement Deputy Convener Dr Farooq Sattar assured the participants of parliamentarian’s support. “Your reservations are genuine and there are a number of options that the parliament can adopt to resolve the problems,” he said.

Sattar added that the parliament may also include the proposed amendments for pharmaceutical sector in the 20th amendment. He assured industrialists that the industry will not be double taxed.

“We have dealt with more complex issues, drug regulatory authority other problems is much easier to solve,” said Sattar.

Senator Haseeb Khan said DRA was not a new concept in the country as a draft was also prepared in 2006 but it was not followed up in the 18th amendment. He explained that more than a dozen countries have set up DRA to regulate the sector and Pakistan should follow suit to bring new investments.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5^th, 2011.