Pakistan orders urgent revision of drug pricing regulations

Pakistan's Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Establishment Division, Senator Ahad Cheema, has ordered an urgent revision of the regulatory framework for drug pricing. The directive targets the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) and the Ministry of National Health Services to ensure that medicine price increases are transparent, evidence-based, and justified.

Senator Cheema expressed dissatisfaction with the current mechanism for determining price hikes, noting that cost pressures should not be automatically passed to consumers. A key focus of the review is the Hardship Policy, which the minister stated must be reformed to provide relief only in genuine cases, preventing it from becoming a tool for importers and retailers to transfer disproportionate commercial costs to patients.

Additionally, the minister called for a restructuring of the DRAP Policy Board to enhance expertise. The proposed changes include the mandatory inclusion of a health economist and a public health expert to support evidence-based decision-making.