Govt orders review of existing drug pricing formula to ensure medicines are priced fairly

The government has ordered a reassessment of Pakistan’s drug-pricing formula and told officials to speed up pending price cases, Dawn reported on Monday. Economic Affairs Minister Ahad Cheema said medicine prices should not rise without adequate grounds, while the process should avoid placing needless obstacles before patients, importers and manufacturers. Officials said their individual reviews of pending cases were close to completion.

The meeting was told that supplies of the WHO-recommended trivalent influenza vaccine were sufficient, and that its hardship case had been withdrawn because international prices were controlled. The Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association backed a review involving industry, arguing that prolonged price freezes amid higher input and operating costs can make production unviable and contribute to shortages. It proposed regular, time-limited adjustments tied to consumer prices and costs, alongside international benchmarks that account for conditions in Pakistan.