Summary Increase in medicine prices ‘under govt watch’.
Dunya News Report (Humaira Sajid)
Islamabad – The State Minister for National Health Services and Regulations Saira Afzal Tarar took a notice of the complaints regarding prices of the drugs, which have been increased by 20 to 70 per cent; and presented her prescription for the plummeting drugs prices requesting the poor to abstain from buying costly medicines.
According to a private news channel, six multinational pharmaceutical companies have increased the prices of medicines by 15 per cent without approval from the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), triggering a controversy over the drug pricing mechanism in the country.
One of the senior DRAP officials reported the move has led to an artificial shortage of medicines. He said the companies which had increased the prices were GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Sanofi-aventis, Abbott Laboratories, Novartis, Otsuka and Reckitt Benckiser. The medicines produced by the companies, he added, were used for the treatment of cardiac ailments, blood pressure, weakness, fever and as painkillers. Some of them were recommended to women during pregnancy.
The Senate’s standing committee on health regulation revealed in a meeting on Thursday that the ministry of health had itself allowed the pharmaceutical companies to increase the prices of medicines by 8 per cent. On the other hand, DG Health Mukhtar Shah said in an interview that the prices of medicines have been increased on the orders of the court. However, Ms Tarar denied possessing any kind of information about the pertaining issue and said that the ministry had no clue about it. While showing her doubts about the poor citizens purchasing costly medicines, she said that people should refrain from buying these medicines, implying that they should go for generic ones.
“The government and the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) have no role in the recent price-hike. It is the second time that some multinational pharmaceuticals have unilaterally and unjustifiably increased prices by obtaining stay orders from the Sindh High Court through deceptive means,” Tarar said explaining the latest development of profiteering multinational pharmaceuticals attaining a stay order from the courts on the matter of the increase in the prices of medicines.
Speaking at the inaugural session of 26th International FamilyCon Conference arranged by Pakistan Academy of Family Physicians (PAFP) at a local hotel, the minister for National Health and Services said the government is keeping an eye on the issue of increase in prices of medicines and are establishing a regulatory authority for improving matters relating to health. Ms Tarar said that the ministry is formulating a new policy through which the government could impose fine on the companies which had increased the prices without informing the Drug Regulatory Authority. She also admitted that all health indicators were worst in Pakistan.
According to details, the health ministry scheduled a meeting on Friday with the Pharma Bureau and the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA), a conglomerate of 21 multinational pharmaceutical, research, and biotechnology companies operating in Pakistan for a dialogue to settle the issue of recent increase in drug prices. However, the only pharma industry invitee to show up was the PPMA chairman and the rest overlooked it after which the meeting was called off, and a press statement was issued that the profiteering multinational pharmaceuticals would not be allowed to blackmail the government.
Ms Tarar chided opposition parties for politicizing the issue, saying, “Opposition members should stop supporting companies which unilaterally jacked up prices, only to create problems for the public. If you aspire towards welfare of the masses, support the government against the people making billions off the backs of the poor.”
Earlier, the Chairman of Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA) Saeed Allahwala said while reasoning and supporting the rise in prices that after 2001, the cost of production and utility services, transport and other expenses rose by 300% but ironically the government has done nothing to address this grave situation. "Since 2001 to 2013, cost of general items increased by 467 percent, fuel and lighting 53, transportation and communication 90, non-food items 63, groceries like flour 338, sugar 155, petrol 230, fresh milk 538 and chicken price is increased by 316 percent. Now, owing to this situation question arises that how will the pharma industry survive without price rationalization?", he asked.
The multinationals have obtained individual stay orders, which will make the issue linger for longer. The Sindh High Court has set February 23, February 27, February 29 and various dates in March for hearings into this case and several others.
