DRAP hikes paracetamol prices

ISLAMABAD: The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has notified a hike in prices of the paracetamol tablet, ARY News reported on Thursday.

According to the notification, the new price of the Paracetamol 500 mg tablet is fixed at Rs2.35, Paracetamol Caffeine 500 mg Rs2.75 and Paracetamol Oral Suspension 5 ml Rs117.

It is important to mention here that the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the federal cabinet had given the approval to increase the prices of Paracetamol.

In September, the National Health Ministry had rejected pressure from pharmaceutical companies to immediately hike prices of paracetamol tablet.

The decision had been taken in a meeting headed by Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel and representatives of pharmaceutical companies where the participants mulled over availability of the paracetamol and challenges faced by the pharma sector.

The pharmaceutical companies had demanded to immediately hike prices of paracetamol by Rs0.98 per tablet, bringing each tablet at Rs2.68. The health minister had out rightly rejected an immediate hike and proposed the price of per tablet at Rs1.70.