ISLAMABAD: Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has announced to increase prices of 94 lifesaving medicines after the federal cabinet approval.
DRAP on Wednesday issued a notification in this regard. The drugs prices have been jacked up include those used for heart ailments, cancer, and blood pressure. The price of the anti-rabies vaccine has also been increased.
The medicines that would witness price hikes included furosemide injections for emergency use in high blood pressure cases; acetazolamide tablets for glaucoma; hydralazine tablets to lower blood pressure and carbamazepine tablets for epilepsy.
According to an earlier statement issued by the Ministry of Health, the designated maximum retail prices would remain in place until June 30, 2021.
The government had in September announced that prices were increased only on drugs that were in the “hardship category,” as recommended by the Drug Pricing Committee under the Drugs Pricing Policy, 2018.
The “hardship category” is a clause that allows increasing medicine prices for a company that stops the manufacturing of medicines by claiming its production has become non-viable due to the high cost of production.
Earlier, The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) had reduced d the price of redeliver, the first and only approved treatment for Covid-19 in the United States, by Rs1,629 taking the price down to Rs 9,244.
As per a notification issued by DRAP today, the price of remdesivir injection has been slashed by Rs1,629, adding that the antiviral drug will be sold at Rs9,244 across the country.
The regulatory authority warned that strict legal action will be taken against those who are selling the drug at higher prices.
