Drap admits drug prices were increased in violation of policy.

Byline: Ikram Junaidi

ISLAMABAD -- The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) admitted on Thursday that medicine prices were increased in violation of its own policy.

The revelation came during a meeting of a National Assembly's subcommittee on national health services (NHS) at Parliament House.

Drap officials gave the meeting a briefing on the registration of medicines, how to obtain licences for new medicines and the structure and financing of the authority. They also said that the laboratory testing and post-marketing surveillance of medicines are Drap's responsibility.

However, MNA Ramesh Lal from the PPP told the officials he had been hearing this information for a long time.

'I want to know what has happened in the last year,' he said, adding: 'As far as I am aware, during the last year the former minister and NHS secretary became the reason of irrecoverable loss to the health sector.'

'The situation has [worsened to the extent] that the poor cannot even imagine buying medicines,' he said.

One of the Drap officials then admitted that the prices of some medicines were increased by more than the limit permitted by drug pricing policy. But, he said, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on NHS Dr Zafar Mirza has taken up the issue and had the prices decreased.

'Although it is true...

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