‘Market drives medicine prices’

Islamabad : Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA) Senior Vice Chairman Arshad Mehmood said 37 new molecules have been included for price fixation, all others are strengths of these molecules, according to government notification.

He was speaking about the rise in prices of medicines and the reasons behind it. By fixation of price of new molecules, patients are being provided latest salts of the world. A comparison of prices of these new molecules will show that their prices in Pakistan are very compatible, he said.

Mehmood said that prices of 94 medicines increased as prices of ingredients of these medicines increased manifold in international markets due to a rise in value of dollar.

He clarified that a molecule named Cephradine as available in Pakistan for Rs100/G but following the increased rates of dollar, it became unavailable. Owing to unavailability of these molecules in Pakistan, doctors started prescribing, Cephtriazone molecule, which has the price of Rs321.

In this perspective, prices of medicines increased, he said. He prices of new molecules available in Pakistan are much lower here as compared to other parts of the world.

He rejected rumors of unjustifiable raise in medicine prices adding that there are some other factors that need to be highlighted.