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Senate body seeks drug pricing policy from DRAP

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On Wednesday, the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination probed the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) to present the committee with their drug pricing policy as well as a complete list of medicines whose rates have been revised since the time of their commencement.

The Senate Body meeting was led by Senator Mian Muhammad Ateeq Shaikh of MQM-Pakistan and involved senior officers of the Ministry of National Health Services and Regulations including Dr. Muhammad Ghous, Muhammad Khan Niazi, Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq, Senator Dilawar Khan, Senator Dr. Ashok Kumar and Senator Prof Dr Mehr Taj Roghani and others.

According to the meeting minutes, omeprazole and esomeprazole were the only two drugs whose prices had been regulated by DRAP since its inception in 2013. The recommendations made in the previous meeting along with their current status were also discussed by the committee.

Chairman Ateeq Shaikh expressed his annoyance on medicines with minor production costs being sold at very high prices. “The production cost of such each such molecule is Rs 25 while sale rate in the market is Rs 688”, he was reported saying.

Regarding the issue of recognition of the CPSP Certificate in the UAE, the committee emphasized on the need for quick action as the future of fresh medical graduates depended on it. The committee chairman said that the committee would meet the ambassador concerned and other authorities in UAE to discuss the matter.

Senator Dr Ashok Kumar informed the committee that he, along with Dr. Sikandar Mandhro, had visited the Directorate of Central Health Establishment at Sea Port in Karachi and found that the state of affairs had improved significantly. He further informed the committee of his plan to visit the Drug Inspectorate and Civil Surgeon Office in Karachi along with Senator Dr Sikandar Mandhro.

While discussing the MIS development tender awarded by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), the committee took serious notice of huge variation between the bids given by Nespak (Rs705, 52137) and Makkays (Rs1, 49, 8200).

PMDC revealed that pre-qualification had been conducted and that after evaluation a report was submitted on May 15, 2018.

Out of the five companies that applied, three firms (Nespak, Makkays and Cyber Vision) were shortlisted as they met 70 percent of the criteria set by PMDC, taking into account the company’s profile, work history in the government sector, details of 10 large scale projects with contact reference and valid registrations with FBR and PSEB.

However, Cyber Vision was later dropped due to lapse of time. The PMDC was directed to ensure that the remaining companies complete the project within their quoted rates and specified time without any compromise in the quality of work.

Furthermore, the committee expressed their displeasure at the PMDC document being referred to as an ‘ordinance’ and not an ‘amendment’ as they feared the document might be used for clandestine motives. It also mandated PMDC to not make any amendment in its ordinance without the consent of the parliament.

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Posted on: 2018-09-06T12:15:00+05:00

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