Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has directed to improve the performance of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) and accelerate action against drug smugglers and hoarders. The premier ordered the authorities to compile the recommendations for necessary legislation regarding the deregulation of drug prices and its onward presentation before the Parliament by the next elected government.
Like all other sectors of our national economy, the health sector, and pharmaceutical industry has been shaped into a worst cartel and an infamous mafia instead of a rockstar industry that can play a heroic role in national building and public service delivery through provision of standardized and low price medicines to the public.
Substandard medicines, hoarding, smuggling, price hikes, black marketing of life saving drugs and non availability of essential medicines are the common problems of Pakistanis in all parts of the country. Meanwhile, drug prices are raised on regular intervals and have become out of reach of the middle class that forms over 42% of the country’s population.
Historically, the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association, the representative body of nationwide drug manufacturers, used to put forth a long list of essential medicines before the government on regular intervals on the plea of rise in the prices of the raw material and get an increase of its own choice through market manipulation and blackmail of the governments. 4
Interestingly, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) always plays on behalf of drug manufacturers and paves the way for ultimate price hikes while any refusal/ delay from the government in accepting cartel demands led to a countrywide shortage and black marketing of essential medicines causes further suffering to the public. It has been a regular practice of the drug mafia that has not made healthcare expenses unbearable for the public but caused significant challenges for the government.
Apparently, the Drug Regulatory Authority has proved to be an ineffective body that failed in fulfilling its responsibility and protecting public interests. There is a need for public private partnership at the DRAP level wherein the committee composed of DRAP members, civil society and public leaders sit together and oversee the DRAP’s affairs and regulate drug manufacturing at the national level, so the public feel some relief in the healthcare sector in the future.
