LAHORE - The Pakistan Young Pharmaceutical Association has demanded Prime Minister intervene and reduce prices of  life saving and important drugs unilaterally increased by Pharma companies with the connivance of Drug Regulatory Authority Pakistan (DRAP) and probe the matter of appointment of a person not having requisite qualification to serve as Chairman Drug Registration Board.
Holding ad hocism and appointment of blue eyed on important and lucrative posts responsible for anti patient decisions, PYPA demanded setting the house in order by giving assignments of managing the affairs of DRAP and DRB to competent people and action against companies increasing prices of important drugs by 30 per cent.
PYPA reminded Prime Minister of Pakistan that he (PM) withdrew the notification issued by DRAP on November 27, 2013 regarding increase in prices of important drugs on the very next working day but the companies followed the notification and not his decision. Though DRAP stuck to its stance that prices of drugs have not been increased after that but the market sources claimed that the suffering humanity was forced to purchase drugs at inflated rates.
“Prices of thousands of drugs have been increased after November 27, 2013. Ignoring PM decision, pharma companies revised retail prices of drugs, mostly life saving antibiotics. Out of 70,000 registered drugs, prices of over 30,000 have been increased by around 30 per cent after November 27, 2013”, market sources claim.
Giving examples of increase in prices, the sources claimed that price of Rhulef 10mg has been increased from Rs 175 to Rs 472, that of Levoxin 250mg drom Rs 100 to Rs 130, Gemglow from Rs 595 to Rs 901, Serenace Ampoule 5mg/ml from Rs 23 to Rs 191, Respro SR from Rs 60 to Rs 237, Selanz SR from Rs 70 to Rs 210, Glitoz 15mg from Rs 84 to Rs 110, Omixim 400mg from Rs 240 to Rs 325 and Lamnet 100mg from Rs 500 to Rs 642.
Likewise price of Levoxin 500mg has been increased from Rs 180 to Rs 229, Negram Tablet from Rs 124 to Rs 152, Morcet 20mg from Rs 350 to Rs 400, Metodine suspension from Rs 32 to Rs 42, Ocitra from Rs 55 to Rs 69, Tramal 50mg from Rs 85 to Rs 147, Vapto 10mg from 128 top Rs 200, Serebal Injectionfrom Rs 168 to Rs 300, Serenace 05mg from Rs 74 to Rs 107, Sustac 6.4mg from Rs 50 to Rs 214, Ventec 04mg from Rs 100 to Rs 190, Zenbar 20mg from Rs 80 to Rs 220, Tefno 1g 1v Injection    from Rs 157 to Rs 263, Zeemox 500mg from Rs 56 to Rs 160, Accupril 20mg from Rs 124 to Rs 702, Arthrrooec 50mg from Rs 213 to Rs 317, Cardura 2mg from Rs 186 to Rs 392, Cardura 4mg from Rs 275 to Rs 773, Combantrin 250mg from Rs 341 to Rs 1026, Dalacin C 300mg from Rs 24 to Rs 282, Deflucen 150mg from Rs 187 to Rs 442, Fluconazole from Rs 384 to Rs 967, Anzo 40mg from Rs 113 to Rs 250, Clariza 250mg from Rs 78 to Rs 209, Zeemox 1gm from Rs 120 to Rs 174, Extor 10/160 from Rs 60 to Rs 418, Ezlum 40mg from Rs 224 to Rs 300, Fortecin 1.2g Injection from Rs 140 to Rs 823, Gemglow Tablet from Rs 75 to Rs 901, Glitoz 45mg from Rs 84 to Rs 221, Gravinate Injection    from Rs 98 to Rs 159, Hydryllin from Rs 15 to Rs 36, Lamnet 100mg from Rs 55 to Rs 642, Co-Olesta 40mg from Rs 200 to Rs 290, Lomotil from Rs 180 to Rs 271, Levoxin 500mg from Rs 50 to Rs 229, Lumark 250mg from Rs 230 to Rs 693, Maxlox 400mg from Rs 349 to Rs 394, Metodine DF from Rs 31 to Rs 74, Respro SR from Rs 60 to Rs 237, Rhulef 10mg from Rs 175 to Rs 472, Amoxil Vials 500mgfrom Rs 53 to Rs 61, Ampiclox Vials 500mg from Rs 51 to Rs 59, Augmentin  vials 1.2gm from Rs 170 to Rs 180, Penbritin vials 500mg from Rs 32 to Rs 36, Orbenin Capsules 250mg from Rs 245 to Rs 282, Arinac Forte from Rs 400 to Rs 460, Artifen 50mg from Rs 350 to Rs 403, Bremax 1mg from Rs 132 to Rs 152, Brufen 200mg from Rs 430 to Rs 445, Citro Soda 4g sachetsfrom Rs 160 to Rs 184, Colofac 135mg from Rs 205 to Rs 236, Daycor from Rs 66 to Rs 69, Duphaston Tablets 10mg from Rs 430 to Rs 494, Duphalac syrup from Rs 148 to Rs 170, Enoxabid 400mg from Rs 710 to Rs 817, Epival Syrup from Rs 121 to Rs 139, Faverin Tablets 100mg from Rs 1130 to Rs 1299, Flexin 250mg from Rs 110 to Rs 127, Femoston 2/10mg from Rs 663 to Rs 763, Froben from Rs 186 to Rs 213, Moculator from Rs 320 to Rs 368, Neophage from Rs 55 to Rs 63, Prothiaden 25m from Rs 94 to Rs 108, Rondec-C Syrup from Rs 44 to Rs 85, Serc 8mg from Rs 254 to Rs 292, Silliver from Rs 179 to Rs  206, Sparaxin  from Rs 589 to Rs 678, Theograd gradumet from Rs 199 to Rs 229, Tronolane Creamfrom Rs 33 to Rs 38, Urixin 400mg from Rs 896 to Rs 1030, Acyclovir inj 500mg from Rs 856 to Rs 985, Fortecin 1.2g Injection from Rs 140 to Rs 823 and hundreds of other drugs.
In a separate letter written to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, the Association alleged that Ghulam Rasool Duttani, a simple graduate, was appointment as Chairman DRB to fulfill the agenda of political bosses. Not only the top office but also section of Control Substances/Narcotics was handed over to another blue eyed Siad Hussain Khan to mint huge money at the cost of public health and even life.
The Association contended that both the officers helped bosses in initiating and completing the process of awarding Ephedrine quota and in return got monetary benefits and out of turn promotions. The Association said that a simple graduate was now serving on a seat previously held by prominent and highly qualified doctors from 1976 to 2010. These included Maj Gen M I Burney, Maj Gen Iqbal Khan, Maj Gen Mohammad Aslam, Maj Gen Shahida Malik, Prof Mohsan, Prof Naik Muhammad Sheikh, Prof Ali Ahmed Ansari, Prof Rashid Juma, Prof Assad Hageez and Prof Ghayour Ayoub. The Association urged Prime Minister to probe that why a less qualified person has been appointed as Chairman DRB and take action against responsible people in larger interests of the suffering humanity.