SHC directs govt to fix Panadol's price in four weeks

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday directed the federal government to decide the price of Panadol, a medicine that is used for relieving fever and pain, in the next four weeks.

The SHC issued the orders after hearing a contempt of court petition filed by the pharmaceutical company. The manufacturer had moved the SHC after the government set aside the court’s earlier orders about raising the price of Panadol.

During the course of the proceedings, the officials of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) apprised the court that the federal government’s node is needed to raise the price of medicines.

At this, the SHC directed the federal government to decide the price of the medicine in the next cabinet meeting and submit a report to the court in this regard.

The Centre’s lawyer admitted that the matter related to the price of Panadol did not come under discussion in the previous cabinet meeting.

In its petition, the pharmaceutical company stated that they purchase raw materials for the medicine in dollars, adding that the cost of the medicine has increased significantly due to the rupee’s continuous fall against the greenback in recent weeks. 

The petitioner said that the government is reluctant to increase the price of the medicine.