Islamabad:
The Federal Minister of Health Mustafa Kamal has admitted that after deregulation after deregulation, some pharmaceutical companies have reportedly gathered to raise medicines on medicines.
Kamal spoke on Thursday at a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee for National Healthcare and Regulations. According to the federal minister, medicine was deregulated to create an atmosphere of competition.
However, the committee chairman, Senator Sajjad Hussain Turi, noted that, after deregulation, pharmaceutical companies after deregulation have turned into cartels.
The Minister acknowledged that deregulation was not a final step and could be reviewed. He admitted to having received reports that pharmaceutical companies had gathered to raise prices.
He also admitted that the price of a medicine that previously cost RS7 has now risen to RS70 and that the purpose of deregulation was not achieved. “Medicine prices have not fallen; actually all prices have risen,” Kamal added.
DRAP CEO Director Dr. Obaidullah also informed the members. He said a study of medical price increases and a report on price increases of 190 types of medicine will be available in September.
According to reports published on August 11, the government has decided to establish a new legislative body responsible for setting the prices of important drugs, a task previously administered by DRAP.
This step is part of the broader reforms of the health sector aimed at streaming the federal Ministry of Health, according to officials of the National Health Services Ministry.
The decision to relieve drap over its price setting tasks follows the caretaker government’s previous deregulation of prices that are not significant medicine.
The new body assumes the responsibility of regulating prices of approximately 500 essential drugs.
