Case-by-case review of pending drug-pricing cases ‘almost complete’

A government review of unresolved medicine-price files is close to completion, Business Recorder reported on Monday. At a meeting chaired by Economic Affairs Minister Senator Ahad Cheema, officials were asked to move completed assessments into the next stage, while DRAP’s current pricing method also came under review.

Officials said supplies of the WHO-recommended trivalent flu vaccine were adequate, and DRAP had removed its hardship-related case because prices for the vaccine are set in international markets. The authority is also examining parts of its pricing formula that could obstruct fair assessments. Cheema called for independent drug-price data, comparisons with other countries and checks on unjustified increases, while saying the system should avoid unnecessary barriers for importers and pharmaceutical businesses.