Drug’s Price Index
By the Editor

WITH a vow to give best possible relief to the people, President Pervez Musharraf has suggested to the pharmaceutical sector to revise downward the prices of medicines to enable the marginalized population access to adequate treatment and health care.

Speaking at the inauguration of Drug Expo 2006 in Islamabad, he said that utmost priority should be given to facilitating health care for the masses.

As a matter of fact, over a short span of time, the pharmaceutical industry in Pakistan has shown a phenomenal growth over the past few years due to incentives given by the Government.

It has an annual turnover of $1.5 billion as against $800 million in 2003. The industry has the capacity to share the benefits of its earnings with the people of Pakistan, particularly the poorer section by downward revision of the prices of medicines including the life saving drugs.

Special attention is also needed for strengthening the role of health care at the primary and secondary health care levels where there are continuous complaints of lack of doctors, paramedics and adequate medicines.

Deprived people are unable to get medicines from the health units and hospitals and they have to purchase from the market bearing unbearable burden.

Another aspect of the health sector which needs particular attention of the Government is to ensure the quality of drugs by strengthening the regulatory system.

A strong quality check on quality medicines is in the interest of the pharmaceutical industry as well so that those selling substandard drugs were apprehended and brought to justice thus removing the black sheep from the market.

Amid such a scenario, the decision by the Health Ministry to organize the two-day Health Expo was a welcome step to showcase the progress that Pakistan has achieved in the implementation of its public health programmes.

Hence, the call by President Pervez Musharraf to the pharmaceutical sector to contemplate a downward revision in the prices of medicines needs to be responded positively.

We feel optimistic that this sector shall not only do so by reducing the price index but would also ensure convenient availability of the best quality of medicines by eliminating spurious drugs, wherever and in whatever shape they exist in Pakistan.●