Shehbaz Sharif constitutes high level committee to increase prices of medicines   

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formed a high-level committee for the hike of medicines prices at the request of local and multinational pharmaceutical companies. 

The committee is headed by Federal Finance Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar.  The committee will include Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel, Minister for Economic Affairs Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, and other senior government officials. The representatives of local and multinational pharmaceutical companies. 

According to a notification, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formed a high-level committee to increase the prices of medicines at the request of pharmaceutical companies. 

The committee will consider and decide on the demands for an increase in the prices of medicines. The high-level committee will also review the Drug Pricing Policy 2018. 

Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA), has demanded a 40 percent hike in the prices of all drugs. The local pharmaceutical industry will be represented by Farooq Bukhari, Zahid Saeed, Qazi Mansoor Dilawar, Tauqeer ul Haq, and others. 

The multinational pharmaceutical companies are represented by Eram Shakir Rahim and Ayesha Tammy Haq. 

The high-level committee would propose alternate recommendations to a price increase, review the duty and tariff structure presently applicable to pharmaceuticals finished dosage forms and raw materials, and review the existing Drug Pricing Policy 2018 and its amendments.