Pakistan jacks up prices of 146 life-saving drugs

The interim government, in its recent announcement on Wednesday, has officially implemented a price increase for a significant number of essential drugs, totaling at least 146 in count.

This notification, outlining the price adjustments, notably reflects hikes across various categories, encompassing crucial medications such as those for cancer treatment, vaccines, and antibiotics.

It's worth noting that the initiative stemmed from a proposal forwarded by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, advocating for the elevation of prices for 262 medications.

However, in its decision-making process, the caretaker administration opted to endorse price adjustments for 146 drugs initially, emphasizing that pharmaceutical entities would autonomously raise prices for an additional 116 drugs from the proposed list.

In a notable shift, the government has transitioned to a policy framework allowing pharmaceutical companies the liberty to independently determine price increments, effectively deregulating drug pricing.

, governmental oversight will now be restricted to overseeing the pricing of 464 drugs designated within the National Essential Medicines List.