The federal government has four weeks to set the price of Panadol, a medication used to treat fever and discomfort, according to an order from the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday.
The decisions were made during the hearing of a petition for contempt of court that the drug’s manufacturer had submitted. It had petitioned the SHC due to the government’s disregard for past rulings from the court that prohibited price increases for Panadol.
The representatives of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) informed the court during the hearings that the approval of the federal government is required in order to increase the cost of medications.
The Supreme Court then ordered the federal government to determine the price of the medication at the following cabinet meeting and provide a report to the court on its findings.
The Center’s attorney acknowledged that the topic of the Panadol price was not discussed at the last cabinet meeting.
The pharmaceutical company claimed in its appeal that it purchases the medicine’s raw materials in dollars and added that the price of the medication has dramatically increased as a result of the rupee’s persistent depreciation against the dollar in recent weeks.
According to the petitioner, the government is hesitant to raise the cost of the medication.
