‘Drug prices increased in connivance with drug authority’

LAHORE

The Pakistan Young Pharmacists Association (PYPA) and Patients Rights Forum Pakistan (PRFP) have alleged that a club of 50 has increased the prices of medicines from this year from 15 percent to 300 percent in connivance with Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP).

“This cartel of pharmaceutical companies has got stay order from the Sindh High Court on the price increase but the DRAP has been showing reluctance in contesting this increase,” said Dr. Noor Mehar, President Patients Rights Forum Pakistan, while speaking at a press conference along with the PYPA office-bearers including Vice-President Dr. Muhammad Ahmad, Joint Secretary Dr. Hina Shaukat and General Secretary Dr. Haroon Yousuf at the Lahore Press Club on Wednesday.

They said Ministry of National Health Services and Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan increased 15 percent prices of medicines on 27th November 2013 by Notification SRO No.1002/2013 which was cancelled by Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif within two days as the price increase was against the policies of the PML-N government. “The Punjab government has taken action against the unlawful price increase but the DRAP denies medicine price increase,” they added.

While presenting the documents of SECP, FBR and Order of Drug Court Peshawar, they alleged that this cartel had managed to get appointed their man Aslam Afghani in the DRAP as Chief Executive Officer of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan who was part of Efroze group which was declared a killer company of more than 250 patients in Punjab Institute of Cardiology Lahore in a fake medicine case. They alleged that his appointment in DRAP was illegal under the Section 18 of DRAP Act 2012 as he was still partner in Otsuka Pharma (a company of Efroze Group). He cannot enjoy any government position under Section 28 of the DRAP Act 2012 since Otsuka was convicted by the Drug Court Peshawar on 26 February 2001.

While alleging receiving of illegal gratifications in cash and kind from pharmaceutical companies, the Pakistan Young Pharmacists Association has appealed the prime minister of Pakistan to remove the DRAP CEO under the Conflict of Interest Clause of Act.

The PYPA always tried to assist government to help poor patients as it worked very hard on the availability of economical hepatitis-C medicines in Pakistan as 4,000 patients died daily and there were more than 20 million infected patients of hepatitis-C in Pakistan. Hepatitis is a disease of the poor, he added.

The PYPA appealed to reduce the price to Rs.32 per tablet of Daclatasvir, Rs.90 per tablet of Sofosbuvir, Rs.140 per tablet of Sofosbuvir+Ledipasvir and Rs.70 per tablet of Simeprevir. We cannot understand the fact that why the DRAP is not working for Pakistani patients and DRAP is only trying to protect strong profit making mafia. In connivance with the DRAP, few companies again went to the court of law for price increase of hepatitis-c medicines which we have highlighted earlier. The DRAP delayed hepatitis-C medicines for three years who was responsible for the millions of deaths in Pakistan without medicine. Still medicine is not only very expensive but most of the medicines are not available in the market, it said. 

They appealed the prime minister, chief justice of Pakistan, chief ministers and minister for health to make available all the medicines of hepatitis-C in the market with low price and best quality, make available all the lifesaving medicines in the market and remove DRAP CEO and take legal action against him; take necessary action for the availability of quality and economical medicines to all poor patients in Pakistan.