LHC seeks record of hike in drug prices from DRAP

LAHORE:The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday directed the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) to furnish the record pertaining to the recent hike in prices of medicines.

As the hearing commenced, a counsel on behalf of the DRAP informed the court that committees on the issue of drug price hike have been constituted. Petitioner Advocate Azhar Siddique strongly objected to the DRAP counsel’s statement and said the committees were doing nothing. He contended that the prices of medicines were jacked up without any plausible reason and the lives of poor people had been made more miserable.

He said that rates of essential lifesaving medicines have been increased by up to 262 per cent by the DRAP in violation of the laws, which has added to the miseries of inflation-hit people. He requested the court to declare the increase illegal. He requested the high court to declare the government’s September 22 decision of hiking rates of 94 essential medicines illegal. Justice Sajid Mahmood Sethi directed the DRAP to submit all record regarding medicine price hike till the next date of hearing.