ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet has approved an increase in prices of more than 140 life-saving medicines, Pakistani state media reported on Thursday.
The development comes after more than a year-long tussle between the government and drug manufacturers over the prices of essential medicines.
The decision to increase the prices was made at a meeting of the federal cabinet presided over by Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar in Islamabad, the state-run Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“On recommendation of the Ministry of National Health, the Federal Cabinet approved increase in the prices of 146 essential life-saving medicines,” the report read.
It said the decision was taken while keeping in view the “rising prices of raw materials in global market.”
Last year, pharmaceutical firms and importers had stopped supply of medicines due to the outgoing government’s inaction on price adjustment according to the rising inflation and dollar-rupee disparity.
The move led to shortage of critical medicines, including oncology products, plasma-derived products, vaccines, recombinant biologicals, equine serum products, cardiac enzymes and specialized hormones, insulin, and mostly importantly the general anesthesia used in operation theaters, in Pakistani health facilities, doctors and pharmacists said at the time.
Speaking at the cabinet meeting, PM Kakar said his government was taking every possible step for the provision of medicines at suitable prices, according to the report.
“The government is devising such policies which would not only benefit the common man, but the pharmaceutical industry as well,” he was quoted as saying.
The prime minister asked authorities to speed up action against hoarding and smuggling of medicines.
