Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Establishment Division Senator Ahad Cheema led a session in Islamabad on October 26 to examine the current pricing mechanism and unresolved drug pricing files, as the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan looks at changing its pricing formula to better evaluate costs and keep medicine affordable.
Staff reported during the session that individual reviews for pending drug files are nearly finished. Cheema praised the advancement and instructed staff to advance the files for subsequent steps. Attendees also learned that adequate amounts of the trivalent flu vaccine recommended by the World Health Organization are present in stores, leading DRAP to drop the vaccine hardship application.
DRAP is looking at rules within the current pricing structure that could block precise cost calculations. Cheema asked the agency to look at dedicated drug pricing databases for objective evaluations, emphasizing that unfair price hikes cannot be permitted.
He additionally demanded a consumer focused pricing system relying on global standards without creating needless obstacles for drug importers and drug manufacturers. Federal Minister for Climate Change Dr. Musadik Malik, Secretary Health Momin Agha, DRAP CEO Dr. Obaidullah, and other top officials participated in the gathering.
