ISLAMABAD: September 13,2022: The federal cabinet on Tuesday turned down a summary seeking increase in the prices of around 510 lifesaving drugs including Panadol.
Padadol is short in the market ,these days due to its rising demand with spread of Dengi virus.
Around 120 pharma companies have license to manufacture Panadol in Pakistan, but presently only three pharmas are manufacturing Panadol tablet. The rest 117 pharma firms are blaming rising input cost to stop manufacturing of Panadol tablet.
It’s second time in less than a month that the Health ministry had submitted a summary for the increase in prices of lifesaving drugs.
Previously, the cabinet had rejected the summary for upward revision in the rates of lifesaving drugs in August last .
The prime minister while rejecting the Health ministry’s summary noted that since the country was already faced with high inflation and the people were facing price -hike it was not possible for the government to approve increase in the prices of the lifesaving drugs.
Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA) is referring a Consumers Price Index (CPI) based formula for making its case for big increase in the drugs prices .
CPI formula is only applicable for food items . In Pakistan , PPMA , which acts like a Mafia z connived with Sara Afzal Tarar , Health minister in PMLN government in ,2017 to use CPI as a formula for the increase in drug prices. Since 2017 , Sara Afzal Tarar”s money making formula is haunting poor people of Pakistan. CPI formula has become a golden mine for pharma mafia to make trillions of rupees at the cost of people ‘s look lives
Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) government used the same CPI based formula to grant increase in drugs prices 14 times . PTI rule of quarter to four years remained matchless era for pharma mafia to make money at will through increase in drug prices .
In PTI rule , many ministers and DRAP officials received their share from pharma mafia for securing repeated increase in drug prices .
It’s delegations had had a meeting with Health minister Abdul Qadir Patel, two weeks ago to convince him that upward revision in the rates of drug prices was inevitable to avert looming shortage of crucial lifesaving drugs in the country .
After meeting with PPMA delegation , Abdul Qadir Patel , directed senior officials of his ministry to prepare a summary for consideration of the federal cabinet suggesting 19 % increase in the rates of lifesaving drugs.
PPMA did not stop its efforts to clinch a massive increase of 19 % in drug prices here rather its 4-member delegation flew to London some two weeks ago to seek support from a very important person to get conveyed to the prime minister that he should approve the summary of the Health ministry for the increase in drug prices when its resubmitted to the cabinet again.
The prime minister , however , seems unmoved despite PPMA”s massive campaign spanning right from Islamabad to London. At least his cabinet’s Tuesday’s decision of turning down Health ministry shows it.
What so ever was the reason, PPMA has failed another time to bag benefit of higher prices of drugs when their consumption is on the rise, particularly , in flood hit areas of Pakistan.
Noor Mahar , president Pharmacists Lawyers Association (PLA) welcomes the prime minister ‘s decision of rejecting the increase in the prices of lifesaving drugs, but he is concerned that the cabinet decision may create shortage of Panandol tablet in the market .
Noor Mahar said ” Panandol tablet is a necessary medicine for treatment of denge patients and the government should have taken its case separately to grant increase in its price”.
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