Protest held for lower medicine prices

The poor patient is nowhere near the top of Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan's priority list, said Dr Mahar

LAHORE: A joint protest demanding lower medicine prices was held by scores of pharmacists and lawyers of Pakistan Young Pharmacist Association and Pakistan Drug Lawyers Forum in front of the Lahore Press Club to decrease the price of medicines.

Pakistan Drug Lawyers Forum President Dr Noor Muhammad Mahar said that there was a plan of a 15% cumulative increase in prices on September 8 by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP). A writ petition was prepared in the office of DRAP CEO Aslam Afghani by DRAP Pricing Director Amanullah along with the lawyers of Club of 50, where entire game plan was finalised. Dr Mahar said during the protest that the ultimate objective of Drugs Act 1976 and DRAP Act 2012 was the “availability of quality drugs at economic rates to all Pakistanis”.



“In reality, the Drug Regulatory Authority was working to increase profits of Club of 50 and corruption of DRAP officials. Practically, the poor patient is nowhere near the top of DRAP’s priority list. Most of the rules framed to implement Drugs Act 1976 were contrary to statute. The main objectives behind making these rules was not the availability of economical medicine, but to grasp more and more power and money at the cost of poor patients.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 8^th, 2017.