Prices of 89 essential medicines reduced by 15pc..

KARACHI: The Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination (NHSRC) has decreased the prices of essential medicines by 15 per cent and issued notification in this regard.

According to a notification, the ministry under continuation of Drug Pricing Policy 2018 reduced the prices of 89 life saving drugs by 15 per cent.

Special Assistant to Prime Minister SAPM Dr Zafar Mirza said the prices of 89 essential medicines had been reduced by 15 per cent on the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

He said reduction of medicine prices will be implemented on urgent basis.

Earlier, Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) and another health watchdog monitoring the drugs regulation, declared it an eye wash as public paid exorbitant prices for six months despite issuance of the SRO in June last.

Dr Mirza had held a press conference with SAPM Awan last month where he said the government has to reduce the price of any medicine which is included in its essential medicines list by 10 percent, each year. This, he said, was according to the medicine price control policy of 2018.

"However, we have given the approval to the federal government to cut down prices of essential medicines by 15 percent," he had said. "The new prices will come into effect immediately.

"In the next two months, the government will be reviewing the medicine pricing policy and come up with a new one in its place," he had also said.

Prime Minister Imran Khan had directed relevant authorities to bring down prices of medicinal drugs earlier this year.

In April, Chairman NAB Justice (r) Javed Iqbal had said that the bureau will investigate the unprecedented hike in prices of medicines.

The NAB chairman had directed the anti-corruption watchdog to look into the alleged corruption in Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination and Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP).