[e-drug] Pakistan Supreme Court orders survey on hike in drug prices

["Azhar Hussain" <azhar_hussain@hamdard-isb.edu.pk>]

E-DRUG: Pakistan Supreme Court orders survey on hike in drug prices
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TheNews; 23rd August 2007. SC orders survey on hike in drug prices

(Sorry for the delayed posting. I think the issue is of interest for many
of us. When state fails (in this case drug control organization at Ministry
of Health) to ensure affordability of quality medicines then honourable
courts have to intervene.)

Islamabad: The Supreme Court (SC) Wednesday directed the Ministry of Health
to conduct market survey across the country to ascertain the drug price
differential between the national and multinational pharmaceutical
companies.

A five member bench of the supreme court, comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar
Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice cFakir Muhammad Khokar, Justice M Javed Buttar,
Justice Nasirul Mulk and Justice Raja Fayyaz Ahmed while hearing a sue moto
case of hike in drugs prices, also directed to involve an official of the
Ministry who is a pharmacist in the market survey.

Secretary Health Khushnud Ahmed Lashari, Drug Control Officer of the
Ministry of Health Farnaz Malik, and counsel for local pharmaceutical
company appeared before the bench.

The Chief Justice asked the Health Ministry officials as to why there is a
difference in drug prices between the national and multinational companies.

If you go to India you will see that offered by the local and multinational
drug companies are the same, but why not here, the Chief Justice asked the
Health Ministry officials."I got a packet of tablet here for Rs 49 while the same tablet I bought in India for Rs10," the Chief Justice said.

Counsel representing a local drug company while appearing before the court
admitted that there was a great price differential between the local and
multinational pharmaceutical companies. He suggested that there should be
free competition in the market between the local and multinational
companies.

During the hearing, the Chief justice observed that the poor people could
not buy drugs of multinational companies, but doctors forced them to buy it
just for their own benefit.

The Chief justice stressed the health officials to take it as public
interest and ensure remedy to the poor people of the country. The Chief
justice also directed the health secretary to involve real people, including pharmacists in the survey process and specifically directed to involve one official Khalid Rauf of the ministry in this regard.

Azhar Hussain
Director (Associate Professor)
Hamdard Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Hamdard University
F-8 Markaz, Islamabad
Pakistan
00-92-51-2856901 Ext. 217
00-92-51-2856433 (Fax)
"Azhar Hussain" <azhar_hussain@hamdard-isb.edu.pk>