Former Secretary General of Pakistan Medical Association, Dr. Qaisar Sajjad, urged DRAP to regulate drug prices in consultation with the pharmaceutical industry, noting that the prices of essential drugs increase every 15 to 20 days. Photo: file
ISLAMABAD:
The Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services has urged the government to balance investor confidence and business margins with the public interest to keep essential medicines affordable.
The panel, chaired by Senator Amir Waliuddin Chishti, met in Parliament to discuss a number of key issues relating to the health sector.
It recommended that while maintaining investor confidence and allowing reasonable profit margins, the interests of the common man must be protected to keep essential medicines affordable.
Issues including Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Amendment), 2025, status of polio eradication efforts and performance of National Council for Homeopathy were briefly discussed during the meeting.
The committee also reviewed the compliance report from the Ministry of National Health Services on drug pricing, difficulties and new drug registrations.
It stressed that wage increases and production costs must be reasonably justified and urged the ministry to review the activities of the SCR and ongoing research and development initiatives to ensure transparency and efficiency in the pricing process.
While debating the Drap (Amendment) Bill 2025, Senator Dr. Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur the committee’s ongoing efforts and expressed her support for its recommendations.
The Minister of Health warned that sudden changes in the regulatory framework could disrupt the national pharmaceutical sector, stressing the need for stability, while the committee chairman called for a balanced and well-structured approach to the proposed changes.
The minister assured the committee that the ministry will present a comprehensive action plan and ensure that all stakeholders, including the incoming administration, are heard in the reform process.
The committee was also briefed on the progress of polio eradication efforts in Pakistan, with Senator Masroor Ahsan expressing concern over the persistence of the virus despite several vaccination drives.
The minister told the committee that poor sanitation, unsanitary conditions and polluted sewage remain the key factors behind the persistence of the virus, especially in Karachi, Lahore and southern Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
He added that vaccination efforts alone cannot succeed without addressing these environmental causes.
Senator Chishti emphasized that eliminating polio requires collective responsibility at the grassroots level along with accountability from elected representatives and local government bodies.
