By Asma Kundi
ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Wednesday formed a committee to discuss the demand by the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA) to increase the price of medicines by 40 percent.
According to the notification issued by the health ministry, the committee will be headed by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar to discuss a way forward on the recent demand by PPMA to increase the prices. Health minister Abdul Qadir Patel and Ayaz Sadiq will be part of the government body. It will also be reviewing the Drug Pricing Policy 2018.
Why Medicine Committee?
Federal health minister Qadir Patel said that they have formed the body because they don’t want to increase the prices. “The former government of Imran Khan has already increased prices of multifold. Prices are already very high and unaffordable for poor people therefore, we have decided to negotiate with the pharma industry,” the minister said in a press talk.
The committee will have representation of local and international pharmaceutical industries as well.
