Approval by the caretaker Federal Cabinet of increas­ing the prices of 146 essential life-saving medicines seems to be a decision that puts the general public at a further disadvantage, in times when healthcare is already very costly. Of the prime welfare functions a state must per­form, healthcare accessibility tops the list. In a country where people struggle with fulfilling everyday basic needs, medicines must be available either free of cost or at mini­mum prices. The government’s policies must be aligned in a way that the general public is shielded from the effects of high raw material and manufacturing costs.

The Ministry of Health cited rising prices of raw materials as a reason why the prices of these 146 medicines must be raised. But this is exactly where government subsidies are supposed to provide relief to people. The caretaker Prime Minister’s remark that prices must be such that they benefit both the people and the pharma industry is valid. But if more taxes and higher prices benefit the latter, the former will def­initely be compromised. This is where the government must have smart policies in place.

The directive to enhance the performance of the Drug Reg­ulatory Authority (DRAP) and to address issues like hoard­ing and smuggling is a step in the right direction. Prices and availability of essential medicines get disrupted by ills like hoarding. To save their loved ones, people have little option but to pay extra costs for life-saving medicines. Hoarding is a crime and must be dealt as such. Frequent shortages of essential medicines have created room for illegal means to make the medicines available to people.

However, the call for deregulation of drug prices should be approached cautiously, considering its potential impact on cit­izens already grappling with high healthcare costs. Regulat­ed prices should never be a justification for hoarding. Anyone looking to make extra and unfair profits must be brought into the accountability realm. Deregulation might be the desired way of the manufacturers but the Ministry of Health and the government must prioritise the public good over everything.