Seeking legal solution of medicine prices

Advisor to the Prime Minister on Health, Dr. Zafar Mirza said that Pharmaceutical Firms have been instructed to bring down the prices of medicines to the reasonable level failing which the government will take the matter to Drug Court. He said that National Medicine Policy shall be formulated by taking on board all stakeholders. As a matter of fact, it was the decision of the federal government that Drugs Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) notified across –the-board increase of 10 to 15 percent in the prices of medicines on the rationale of currency depreciation against the US dollar which made the imported raw material expensive. It opened the flood gate of arbitrary increase in prices by the Pharmaceutical Firms. This justification of medicines’ price increase has become stronger as rupee has shed more value and dollar has gone up to Rs.150 in the open market and to Rs.147 in interbank sale on Friday.

The PTI led government is now confronted with increasing public and political pressure to bring down sweeping price hike of medicines. Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services took this burning issue of “Public Importance” the other day. Federal Health Secretary Zahid Saeed, while briefing the Senate Committee, cut political angles to eulogize the persona of Nawaz Sharif instead of telling how the prices of medicines were brought down in the past. It were the elected governments of Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif that allowed the pharmaceutical companies to increase the prices of medicines in the decade of 1990s. It was the unelected government of General Musharraf that held negotiations with Pharmaceutical firms in 2001 and significantly brought down the prices of medicines which remained stable till 2007. From 2008 till date surge in the prices of medicines continues at alarming pace. It would be worthwhile that instead of indulging in litigation the government should seek out of court and out-of-box solution for medicines’ price control.