Alleged DRAP–Pharma Nexus Drives Medicine Prices Up by 4,000%
Islamabad: An alleged nexus between officials of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) and pharmaceutical companies has reportedly resulted in the removal of government controls over medicine prices across the country.
The Pakistan Young Pharmacists Association has claimed that, following this decision, the difference between the Punjab government’s official procurement rates and open-market medicine prices has risen by as much as 4,000%, severely affecting poor patients and persons with disabilities.
Major Economic Blow: Multinational Firms Exit, $5 Billion Lost
The removal of government controls over medicine prices has reportedly dealt a serious blow to Pakistan’s pharmaceutical sector:
Exit of pharmaceutical companies: Five major multinational pharmaceutical companies have allegedly shut down all their operations in Pakistan and left the country.
Loss of investment: Their departure has reportedly deprived Pakistan of nearly $5 billion in foreign investment.
Public Exploitation and a Growing Health Crisis
The Young Pharmacists Association has highlighted several alarming issues allegedly caused by DRAP’s negligence and failure to regulate the sector:
Sharp rise in essential medicine prices: Life-saving medicines for heart disease, diabetes and fever are reportedly being sold at prices 10 to 30 times higher than official rates.
Substandard syringes and disease transmission: Non-sterile and substandard syringes are allegedly being sold across the country, contributing to the spread of deadly diseases such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis.
Absence of quality-testing facilities: DRAP reportedly lacks adequate facilities to test the quality of medical equipment and modern medical devices.
Registration of banned medicines: The association has alleged that medicines banned in Europe and other Western countries have been formally registered by DRAP for sale in Pakistan.
Serious Financial Corruption Allegations Against DRAP Officials and Doctors
According to the report, former and serving DRAP officials are allegedly being influenced or blackmailed by the pharmaceutical industry and are receiving substantial benefits:
Foreign trips and money laundering: DRAP officials allegedly undertook more than 100 foreign trips funded by pharmaceutical companies and were involved in laundering large sums of money.
Commission-based prescribing by doctors: The report makes the highly serious claim that 999 out of every 1,000 doctors prescribe medicines based on commissions, incentives and benefits offered by pharmaceutical companies rather than solely on patients’ medical needs.
Call for Immediate Intervention and Legal Action
The Pakistan Young Pharmacists Association has warned that, if the situation continues, the provision of free medicines to poor patients in government hospitals may become impossible.
The association has appealed to the Prime Minister and the Chief of Army Staff to take the following steps:
Cancel the notification: Immediately withdraw the notification that deregulated medicine prices.
Launch criminal investigations: Order investigations by the National Accountability Bureau and the Federal Investigation Agency against allegedly corrupt DRAP officials and the pharmaceutical mafia, and recover any illegally obtained money for the national exchequer.
Transfer powers to provinces: In accordance with the Constitution of Pakistan, immediately transfer all powers relating to medicine registration and price determination to the provincial governments.