DRAP denies medicine price hike reports

The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) strongly denied news reports regarding an increase in medicine prices, expressing satisfaction over its supplies.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the authority formally clarified that prices of essential medicines, including insulin and other life-saving essential drugs, have not undergone any upward revision.

It further noted that the prices mentioned in recent news reports refer to the Maximum Retail Prices (MRPs) already printed on medicine packs and certain insulin administering devices manufactured in 2024 or 2025, which were wrongly portrayed as a recent price hike.

The authority reiterated that no new price increase has been approved for essential medicines in recent months and pharmaceutical manufacturers are strictly prohibited from implementing unilateral price hikes for any product listed on the National Essential Medicines List.