LAHORE - The Young Pharmacists Association has claimed that 1.43 percent to 2.86 percent increase in prices of medicines was deception as some of the pharmaceutical companies have increased the prices up to 100pc.
Addressing a press conference along with PTI leader Dr Yasmin Rashid at Lahore Press Club yesterday, YPA office bearers including Vice President Dr Muhammad Ahmed, General Secretary Dr Haroon Yousaf and Joint Secretary Dr Hina Soukat have held DRAP Chief Executive Officer responsible for frequent and out of proportion price increase of medicines, saying Mr Afghani was maneuvering the prices in favour of pharmaceutical companies in complete disregard to the poor people of this country.
Expert in drug laws Dr Noor Mahar, Dr Anjum Saleem from Pakistan Academy of Family Physicians, Consumer Protection Society (COPS) Secretary Legal Affairs Advocate Hafiz Ahsan Naseer Aslam and Pakistan Pharmaceuticals Association President Azhar Iqbal Butt were also present.
YPA office bearers alleged that the CEO DRAP, who is also owner of Otsuka Pharma, has managed and matured medicine price increase on 22 July 2016, fourth such incident in last three years.
They mentioned that Standing Committee of Senate in its recent meeting on 28th July 2016 declared DRAP most corrupt department of Pakistan. They alleged that the CEO DRAP has played key role in all the price increases and served as a bridge between high-ups of Federal Ministry of Health and the undeclared ‘club of 50 pharmaceutical companies’.
They claimed that all the price increase pushed medicine away from poor Pakistanis. “Hundreds of life-saving medicines are short in the market and this modus operandi of artificial shortage of drugs pushes people to readily accept price increase,” they added.
This artificial shortage was first highlighted by Dr Zaka-ur-Rehman, Chief Drug Inspector Punjab in an official letter early this year.
They further alleged that the SRO No628(I)2016 shows that price increase is between 1.43% to 2.86%, which is deception as actual price increase is much higher. “It’s a price bomb as few companies have increased prices more than 100%. “This SRO has also validated all the previous price increases,” they claimed.
They urged the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Prime Minister, NAB, ISI to take action against the illegal acts of unjustified increase in prices of medicines, DRAP and Federal Ministry of Health. “The prices must be brought to the level of 2012 with immediate effect, as lives of 200 million Pakistanis are at risk,” they pleaded.