DRAP grows vigilant against drug price increase
Officers directed to conduct market surveys to check medicine prices
Over the past seven months, some pharma companies had increased prices of their registered drugs without approval of the federal government. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) has directed its field offices to conduct market surveys in order to check drug prices and take action against the pharmaceutical companies that are overcharging consumers.
According to an official of the Ministry for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, the federal government has taken several steps to control prices of drugs in the market and keep them at approved levels.
He said the federal inspector of drugs had conducted raids on the warehouses of manufacturers and importers and seized stocks of overpriced drugs of five companies being sold above the prices set by the federal government.
He said the manufacturing of generic drugs was being encouraged and facilitated as by and large the generic products were cheaper than branded drugs.
He said all facilitation was being provided to the manufacturers of generic drugs and to make their investment fruitful in the shortest possible time. For that purpose, meetings of various boards were being held frequently.
The official said priority was also being given to the grant of new licences for increasing the production of drugs, which would intensify competition in the market and lead to reduction in drug prices.
He said Under Section 6 of the Drugs Act 1976, the storage and sale of drugs in the market was regulated by the provincial governments, therefore, Drap had advised the provincial health authorities to take action under the law against the companies that increased prices beyond the approved levels.
Over the past seven months, he said, some pharmaceutical companies had increased prices of their registered drugs without approval of the federal government after managing to obtain restraining orders from the Sindh High Court.
In March 2015, the federal government after approval of the Economic Coordination Committee had notified the Drug Pricing Policy wherein prices of medicines were frozen till July 2016 except for the increase allowed for orphan drugs, intravenous infusions and drugs under hardship category that had become unviable in the market.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 3rd, 2016.
The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) has directed its field offices to conduct market surveys in order to check drug prices and take action against the pharmaceutical companies that are overcharging consumers.
According to an official of the Ministry for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, the federal government has taken several steps to control prices of drugs in the market and keep them at approved levels.
He said the federal inspector of drugs had conducted raids on the warehouses of manufacturers and importers and seized stocks of overpriced drugs of five companies being sold above the prices set by the federal government.
He said the manufacturing of generic drugs was being encouraged and facilitated as by and large the generic products were cheaper than branded drugs.
He said all facilitation was being provided to the manufacturers of generic drugs and to make their investment fruitful in the shortest possible time. For that purpose, meetings of various boards were being held frequently.
The official said priority was also being given to the grant of new licences for increasing the production of drugs, which would intensify competition in the market and lead to reduction in drug prices.
He said Under Section 6 of the Drugs Act 1976, the storage and sale of drugs in the market was regulated by the provincial governments, therefore, Drap had advised the provincial health authorities to take action under the law against the companies that increased prices beyond the approved levels.
Over the past seven months, he said, some pharmaceutical companies had increased prices of their registered drugs without approval of the federal government after managing to obtain restraining orders from the Sindh High Court.
In March 2015, the federal government after approval of the Economic Coordination Committee had notified the Drug Pricing Policy wherein prices of medicines were frozen till July 2016 except for the increase allowed for orphan drugs, intravenous infusions and drugs under hardship category that had become unviable in the market.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 3rd, 2016.