ISLAMABAD: The federal government has allowed pharma companies to increase the prices of medicines by 7 to 10 percent.
The federal government has allowed pharmaceutical companies to increase the prices of medicines under the Consumer Price Index (CCI). According to the DRAP notification, pharmaceutical companies and importers have been allowed to increase the prices of basic medicines by 7% while the prices of other medicines by 10%.
According to the notification, DRAP has amended the Drug Pricing Policy 2018 on the approval and recommendation of the Federal Government and DRAP Policy Board. According to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the Ministry of National Health will increase the prices of medicines every year.
On the other hand, the citizens have termed the increase in the prices of medicines as an injustice to the people and demanded from the government that the prices of medicines are already very high and no further increase should be made.
It may be recalled that last year, according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the prices of basic medicines were allowed to increase by 5.14 per cent while the prices of all other medicines were allowed to increase by 7.34 per cent.