Federal Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel on Tuesday rejected a proposal from the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) seeking an increase in the prices of more than 40 medicines.
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According to a Health Ministry spokesperson, DRAP had submitted a summary requesting approval for price increases for the medicines. The health minister rejected the proposal, saying the government remained committed to providing relief to the general public.
The development comes amid a separate discussion over the price of paracetamol, a commonly used medicine for fever, pain and headaches.
According to the chairman of the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA), DRAP had previously fixed the price of paracetamol at Rs2.67 per tablet.
Pharmaceutical companies, however, had requested that DRAP set the price at Rs3.50 per tablet.
Authorities said a summary concerning a possible increase in the price of paracetamol would be presented to the federal cabinet.
The proposed price would represent an increase from the Rs2.67 per tablet rate cited by the PPMA chairman.
