The Minister for Health in a written reply to the Nation Assembly stated that the Ministry under the directions of Prime Minister has constituted a board for formulating drugs pricing policy, comprising of experts from WHO, Ministry of industries and Production, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Health as well as representatives from the pharmaceuticals industry and Consumer Organisation.
The objective before the Policy Board is to formulate drugs pricing policy at par with the neighbouring countries adopting latest approaches. Four meetings of the Drugs Pricing Policy Board have been convened so far and the drugs pricing policy is in pipelines, he added. After finalisation it would be submitted to the ECC/cabinet for approval. This will enable Ministry of Health to rationalise the prices of drugs.
He said that the federal Government is empowered under Section 12 of the Drugs Act, 1976 to fix the prices of drugs and for that purpose Ministry of Health has constituted a price advisory committee chaired by the secretary health.
Shahab-ud-Din further stated that as per 'Trade Policy' all medicines are importable from all over the world except certain limitations for import of certain items from India. Restrictions on import of drugs/medicines from any country so for, not barred. There is no provision under the Drugs Act 1976 to restrict import of medicines except to impose certain technical barriers to take care that only good quality drugs should be imported, he maintained.
Pakistan is the signatory of WTO/TRIPS under this agreement Pakistan is bound not to implement unnecessary restrictions on free trade except certain technical barriers. Thus, imported medicines are required to be on sale in the market of any of the Western European countries, USA, Japan, and Australia or be subject to inspection of the manufacturing site. This way we ensure that only quality products enter the Pakistan market, he added.