ISLAMABAD: The federal health ministry and the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) informed the Senate Standing Committee on Health on Thursday that a review of medicine prices in 190 categories is under way, and that the policy of deregulation could be reversed in September if it is found to be burdening the public rather than providing relief.
Addressing a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, chaired by Senator Amir Waliuddin Chishti, Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal admitted that deregulation, introduced to encourage competition, had instead led to steep price increases. “The objective of competition was not achieved—prices only went up. A medicine which once cost Rs7 is now selling for Rs70,” he conceded, adding that the government would revisit the policy if the findings confirm that people are suffering.
Committee Chairman Senator Chishti voiced strong displeasure at what he described as cartelisation in the pharmaceutical sector, declaring that profiteering at the cost of public health was unacceptable. “The government embraced deregulation in good faith, with the aim of ensuring affordable medicines. But if cartelisation continues, we shall review the policy,” he said. The ministry informed the committee that the assessment of deregulation would be completed by 18 September in consultation with stakeholders.
The meeting also turned to Pakistan’s medical education system. Senator Fawzia Arshad raised concerns regarding the Medical and Dental Colleges Admission Test (MDCAT), scheduled for 5 October, with more than 150,000 candidates expected to sit the exam. Chairman Chishti stressed that Sindh has remained at the centre of paper leak controversies in the past and directed the PMDC to ensure airtight security. “If a paper is leaked at one centre, the others must remain unaffected through an alternate set of questions,” he instructed.
Health Minister Kamal assured the committee that a secure pool of questions had been prepared, provinces were under close watch, and additional safeguards had been put in place. The PMDC officials briefed the committee that Pakistan currently has 187 medical and dental colleges with a total capacity of 22,000 students, while nearly 5,000 graduates migrate abroad each year. The minister reiterated that the PMDC, as a 15-member autonomous council including federal and provincial health secretaries, regulates medical education independently of the ministry.
The committee also examined legislative business. The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Mental Health (Amendment) Bill, 2025, both moved by Senator Mohammad Humayun Mohmand, were taken up. While the PMDC bill was deferred for further scrutiny due to concerns that parliamentary representation might dilute its autonomy, the Mental Health Bill was approved, with members agreeing on the urgent need to bring psychologists under regulation.
Separately, the Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-Smokers’ Health (Amendment) Bill, 2025, was discussed. Senator Sarmad Ali, who moved the bill, urged urgent regulation of vaping, particularly among youth, and proposed banning sales near educational institutions. The chairman directed the ministry to review the proposals with the mover, noting that existing federal tobacco laws are outdated.
Concerns over private medical colleges charging more than the prescribed Rs1.8 million fee cap and failing to refund students were also raised. The chairman suggested obtaining audit reports from these colleges, while the minister committed to inspections in Islamabad and presenting findings to the committee.
Concluding the session, Senator Chishti emphasised that protecting public health was paramount and directed that the matter of drug pricing and deregulation be revisited in September once the review is complete.
Among those present were Senators Mohammad Humayun Mohmand, Fawzia Arshad, Syed Masroor Ahsan, Irfan ul Haque Siddiqui, and Sarmad Ali, along with the Minister for National Health Services, senior ministry officials, and representatives from the PMDC and DRAP.