CJP orders DRAP to freeze medicine prices across Pakistan

LAHORE: Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar has ordered Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) to freeze the prices of medicines across the country.

A three-member bench headed by the chief justice heard suo motu notice in Supreme Court Lahore registry against increase in medicine prices.

During the hearing, Additional Attorney General Sajid Ilyas Bhatti said pharmaceutical companies increased medicine prices on their own before 2013.

According to the policy of 2015, 2,000 cases were wrapped up while a two-year period was granted to print barcode on medicines.

To this, the chief justice remarked that the court could not intervene in matters pertaining to policy, but added that printing of barcodes on medicines should be put into practice.

The court also ordered the federal government to appoint a permanent chief executive for DRAP at the earliest.

He also ordered work be started for treatment of kidney disease and those pertaining to Hepatitis C.

The chief justice also questioning the additional attorney general over the prevalence of Hepatitis C in Gilgit Baltistan.