Concern over increase in prices of life-saving drugs

MULTAN: The Pakistan Chemist Association has expressed concern over 300 per cent increase in prices of lifesaving drugs.Talking to journalists here on Tuesday, PCA Multan division chairman Akhtar Butt said that the increase in prices of lifesaving drugs was a betrayal from the commitments of providing cheap medicines to the citizens. Akhtar Butt said that the prices of medicines had increased at a cost of receiving heavy commission from pharmaceutical companies and the people were suffering a lot. The prices of selected medicines like insulin for sugar patients, blood pressure and cardiac medicines had been increased considerably. The pharmaceutical companies had stopped supply to markets after rupee depreciation and increased in imported raw material of medicines.He said that important lifesaving drugs were not available at majority of pharmacies across the city whereas several essential medicines had also been declared out of stock by medical stores due to recent surge in prices. The pharmaceutical mafia had increased the rates of medicines with the alleged connivance of influential persons, he added.He said that the medicines made in Pakistan were being sold on higher prices while different political players owned 48 per cent of the pharmaceutical companies in the country. He said that hike in petroleum prices, levying withholding tax, property tax, income tax, rupee depreciation and inflation had destroyed medicines business. Akhtar Butt said that the PCA was seriously considering using the right of strike and countrywide protest in the coming days. The medical stores would observe shutdown and the government was responsible for the whole disorder, he said.He added that the PCA had no other option left except using the right of agitation and shutter down. He said that black marketing had been on the rise after the pharmaceutical companies had suspended medicines supply in the market.The companies had stopped importing raw material at high rates and selling medicines at low prices, he maintained. Akhtar Butt said that the available stocks of medicines with medical stores were going to finish day by day while companies had stopped supply to medical stores. He feared massive shortage of life saving drugs in coming days. He demanded the government revise the policy to provide relief to the masses.

from The News International - National https://ift.tt/2ypdRYn