Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) Chief Executive Officer Dr. Obaidullah has said that after the deregulation of medicines, the authority to determine drug prices has been given to pharmaceutical companies.
According to sources, medicine prices are already at their highest levels.
He stated that permission has been granted for pharmaceutical companies to set the prices of 50 percent of medicines themselves. The prices of medicines for various diseases, including heart conditions, mental illnesses, and diabetes, are already at record high levels.
Experts participating in a seminar on the National Health Policy noted that DRAP officials admitted that unnecessary prescriptions result in a loss of around 50 billion rupees, which ultimately has to be borne by the public.
Health experts said that around 70 percent of the medicines prescribed by doctors are unnecessary.
Experts further stated that giving companies the authority to determine medicine prices will lead to a further increase in prices.
