ISLAMABAD
The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has directed its field offices and the provincial governments to remain vigilant on any unauthorised increase in prices of drugs and take appropriate legal action against the defaulters.
According to official sources, DRAP is conducting market surveys to check prices of drugs and sale of few drugs at prices over and above than the prices fixed by the federal government.
They said that the DRAP and FIA exposing and uprooting through their successful strategy a gang of spurious drugs dealers in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, which was working throughout the country.
They said for the first time FIA and DRAP are at one page, for this good and pious cause which will safeguard the public at large. DRAP is in a state of transition due to promulgation of new legislation a year ago, they added.
They said during last two years 17 pharmaceutical companies had increased the prices of their drugs exorbitantly and obtained stay orders from various courts.
On September 17, 2013, the DRAP has filed an application in the Supreme Court of Pakistan against all those companies and the court on September 19, 2013 issued notices to those companies.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan in hearing of the case on March 20, 2014 fixed case of un-authorized price increase by the pharmaceutical companies in 3rd week of April, 2014 and directed DRAP to submit a comprehensive report on the matter.
The court further directed to issue notices to companies which were not represented in the court on that day.
M/s Hi-Warble Pharmaceuticals (Pvt) Ltd, Lahore had increased price of its drug Wartet injection had got stay order from the Lahore High Court, Lahore. DRAP contested the cases in the court and stay was vacated on February 3, 2014.
They said Federal Inspectors of Drugs, Islamabad has seized stocks of three products during a raid in the warehouses of two Islamabad-based pharmaceutical companies namely M/s Wislon’s Pharmaceuticals, Islamabad and M/s Scottmann Pharmaceuticals, Islamabad.
They were selling on prices more than the prices fixed by the federal government, adding, further legal action will be taken under the Drugs Act, 1976 and rules framed there under, they said.
They said in addition Federal Inspectors of Drugs, Lahore have also seized stocks of these companies.
Federal Inspector of Drugs, Lahore has also seized stocks of M/s Popular International, Karachi of three drugs on February 13 and 14, 2014. However, the company managed to get restraining order on February 21 from the Sindh High Court, Karachi, they added.