LHC wants DRAP to furnish record of hike in medicine prices

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday sought relevant record regarding the recent hike in prices of medicines from the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP).

Justice Sajid Mahmood Sethi was hearing a writ petition that requested the high court to declare the government’s September 22 decision of hiking rates of 94 essential medicines illegal.

Also Read: DRAP notifies hike in prices of 94 life-saving drugs

During the hearing, a counsel for the drug regulator informed the court that committees on the issue of drug price hike have been constituted.

Petitioner Advocate Azhar Siddique’s lawyer stated that the DRAP counsel was making wrong statement as no such committees were working. He contended that the prices of medicines were jacked up without any plausible reason.

Also Read: Hike in prices of 94 life-saving drugs by DRAP ‘inevitable’: SAPM

He said that rates of essential life-saving medicines have been increased by up to 262 per cent by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP)  in violation of the laws, which has added to the miseries of inflation-hit people. He pleaded with the bench to declare the increase illegal.