Drug pricing policy: Chemists’ association sends notice to DRAP
Blames authority for ignoring court’s directive.
LAHORE:
Pakistan Chemists and Druggists Association (PCDA) has sent a legal notice to the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), blaming the authority for ignoring the Sindh High Court’s direction to get all stakeholders on board in finalising the drug pricing policy.
The court mentioned in its decision on November 7, 2014 that DRAP must finalise the pricing policy in their meeting on November 18 by consulting all stakeholders. In case of failure in finalising the policy on the given date, the meeting must be held every day with stakeholders until a policy is agreed upon.
As per PCDA, the DRAP violated the court’s decision by not finalising the policy on the said date as the whole meeting lasted for only 30 minutes and the subsequent policy board meeting on November 20 in Islamabad was held without them. The chief justice directed that ‘meaningful and decisive’ dialogue between DRAP and the stakeholders must take place before formulating / finalising the drug pricing policy. Instead of abiding by the directions of the chief justice, a 20-minute presentation was made before the stakeholders after which their opinion was sought very ‘briefly’. The policy proposal brought forward by PCDA was not even looked at in any constructive manner by the policy board. Provincial secretaries were also absent on November 18 despite the court’s categorical directions about their presence ordering that ‘their attendance may not be exempted’.
The court also ordered the DRAP to share the draft policy with all stakeholders instantly so that they may have sufficient time for filing objection(s) to the same (if any) before the board’s meeting but the DRA deliberately avoided the clear directive by SHC.
According to PCDA, no discussion for formulating a national drug policy was held during the meeting. PCDA has asked to reconvene the meeting and ensure the presence of all concerned government officials and stakeholders in compliance with the order of SHC.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 25th, 2014.
Pakistan Chemists and Druggists Association (PCDA) has sent a legal notice to the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), blaming the authority for ignoring the Sindh High Court’s direction to get all stakeholders on board in finalising the drug pricing policy.
The court mentioned in its decision on November 7, 2014 that DRAP must finalise the pricing policy in their meeting on November 18 by consulting all stakeholders. In case of failure in finalising the policy on the given date, the meeting must be held every day with stakeholders until a policy is agreed upon.
As per PCDA, the DRAP violated the court’s decision by not finalising the policy on the said date as the whole meeting lasted for only 30 minutes and the subsequent policy board meeting on November 20 in Islamabad was held without them. The chief justice directed that ‘meaningful and decisive’ dialogue between DRAP and the stakeholders must take place before formulating / finalising the drug pricing policy. Instead of abiding by the directions of the chief justice, a 20-minute presentation was made before the stakeholders after which their opinion was sought very ‘briefly’. The policy proposal brought forward by PCDA was not even looked at in any constructive manner by the policy board. Provincial secretaries were also absent on November 18 despite the court’s categorical directions about their presence ordering that ‘their attendance may not be exempted’.
The court also ordered the DRAP to share the draft policy with all stakeholders instantly so that they may have sufficient time for filing objection(s) to the same (if any) before the board’s meeting but the DRA deliberately avoided the clear directive by SHC.
According to PCDA, no discussion for formulating a national drug policy was held during the meeting. PCDA has asked to reconvene the meeting and ensure the presence of all concerned government officials and stakeholders in compliance with the order of SHC.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 25th, 2014.