As reported, the federal cabinet’s Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) on Monday voted against raising the cost of the injectable Remdesivir, which is used to treat COVID-19.
The ECC, presided over by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, considered a request from the health ministry for the maximum retail price of Remdesivir 100 mg injection, which is used to treat COVID-19. However, the ECC rejected the request and decided that the current retail price of Rs1,892 per vial should remain fixed.
The Ministry of National Health Services’ request to increase the pricing of 119 medications was also tabled by the committee.
The move comes at a time when pharmaceutical companies are fighting to survive despite repeated requests from domestic and international businesses for the government to raise drug costs.
Most imported and vital drugs are severely in short supply in Pakistan due to the Drug Regularity Authority of Pakistan’s (DRAP) price policy and the weakening rupee.
According to Abdul Mannan, a pharmacist and importer of biological products, “their prices have increased manifold and it has become economically unviable for importers to bring them on the existing prices given by the DRAP due to the controversial drug pricing policy of the Drug Regularity Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) and extreme depreciation of Pakistani currency against the dollar.”
Analysts have also noted how many Pakistanis already suffering from rising fuel and food prices would suffer even more if prescription prices rose.