Daily Times

LAHORE: The plight of poor hepatitis patients in Pakistan is likely to worsen in days to come as the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) and the Health Ministry have decided to increase prices of hepatitis drugs by 15 percent, said Pakistan Drug Lawyers Forum President Dr Noor Muhammad on Friday.

Addressing a press briefing, Dr Noor said that the expected hike in prices would be for the eighth time since 2013. Pakistan Young Pharmacist Association General Secretary Dr Hina Shaukat, Pakistan Young Pharmacist Association President Dr Haroon Yousaf also addressed the briefing.

They alleged that the ‘Club of 50’ had given a bribe of Rs 8 billion to the DRAP and some health official to hike the prices of hepatitis drugs.

“The DRAP is destroying the pharmaceutical industry in Pakistan,” said Dr Noor, and alleged that poor patients had been compelled to buy substandard imported medicines on higher rates. He said that there was no prosecution on substandard imported medicines. “The prosecution is only for the medicine manufactured in Pakistan. This is the main reason behind the decline in pharma exports from $220 million to $120 million and increase in imports $409 million to $676 million, causing a loss of $360 million to the national exchequer,” he explained.

He held DRAP Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Aslam Afghani and Health Minister Saira Afzal Tarar responsible for an increase in drugs export and continuous decline in import.

Dr Hina Shaukat said that the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had declared appointment of Aslam Afghani null and void from the date of his appointment but the minister and the health secretary somehow managed to get stay order against the decision.

She said that the value of per share of the OtsukaPharma, a pharmaceutical company allegedly owned by the DRAP CEO, was Rs 46 per share before his appointment, which now stands at Rs 228 per share. She alleged the Aslam Afghani used his official powers for what she described as illegal registration of two herbal companies from Thailand and Indonesia, and illegal registration of poor quality stents from China without fixing their price. She went on to say that Aslam Afghani was also responsible for price hike of 41 drugs of OtsukaPharma.

Dr Haroon Yousaf said Aslam Afghani in connivance with Director Registration Ghulam Rasool, Additional Director Obaidullah, Deputy Director Sayyad Hussain, Director Pricing Amanullah, deputy directors Saifullah Khattak and Babar Khan, Deputy Director (Admin) Murad Khan and Assistant Director Muneeb Cheema had embezzled the entire record of registration.

He said that the authorities concerned were also not taking action the alleged irregularities in the DRAP.

He said that more than 200 million hepatitis patients had been left on the mercy of the corrupt mafia which had become addicted to price hike of drugs.

Published in Daily Times, July 9^th , 2017