A federal cabinet subcommittee has approved the proposed prices of 52 newly registered medicines. This marks an important step towards improving access to advanced treatments for patients across Pakistan. The medicines are maily for people suffering from serious illnesses, including cancer, diabetes, haemophilia and Parkinson’s disease.
The decision was made during a meeting of the federal cabinet’s subcommittee led by Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb. Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal, the federal health secretary and senior officials from the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) also attended the meeting to review the pricing proposals.
The committee approved the recommended prices for all 52 medicines. However, the process is not yet complete. The proposed prices are not yet fully approved. DRAP will issue an official pricing notification, once approved by the federal cabinet. Medicines will be legally available for sale in Pakistan after official notification.
Medicines included in the approved list
- Keytruda (Immunotherapy medicine used to treat more than 20 types of cancer)
- Nivolumab (Immunotherapy medicine used for several types of cancer)
- Dasatinib (Treats certain forms of leukaemia)
- Meropenem (An antibiotic used for treating serious bacterial infections)
- Insulin (Controls blood sugar levels in people with diabetes)
Moreover, the Ministry of National Health Services urged the need for faster approval of medicine prices. Delays in registration and pricing had made it difficult for patients to access essential medicines, forcing patients to rely on costly imports or unregistered products.
Previously, Aurangzeb chaired the eighth meeting of the cabinet committee formed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to examine recommendations put forward by the Drug Pricing Committee and the Policy Board of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP).
The meeting was attended by Minister for National Health Services Mustafa Kamal, Minister for Defence Production Muhammad Raza Hayat Harraj, senior officials from the health ministry, DRAP, and representatives of the Commerce and Finance Divisions.
Read more: Aurangzeb pushes transparent drug pricing to keep medicines affordable