ISLAMABAD-Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) decided to launch national medicine policy for ensuring safe medicines in the country, a statement said on Tuesday.
As per the statement issued by the ministry, the policy will be launched in the month of November this year, which will address the issues of quality and pricing of the medicine in the country.
The statement issued by the ministry said that Special Advisor to Prime Minister on National Health, Dr. Zafar Mirza stressed on the need of an effective national medicine policy for ensuring safe medicines in the country.
He said that the government plans to enhance capacity of pharmaceutical sector for availability of medicines which aims at ensuring quality procedures, effective regulations, promoting rational use and increased access strategies through integrated supply chain mechanisms. He told that it is the vision of the leadership to introduce well framed reforms in health system whose ultimate beneficiaries are people of the country.
Furthermore, pharmaceutical sector will be strengthened to provide a boost to exports of pharmaceuticals.
He was addressing the closing ceremony of 4-day national consultative meeting for development of National Medicine Policy (NMP)-Pakistan.
This activity is part of integrated health system strengthening and services delivery (IHSS-SD).
The consultative meeting was attended by experts from DRAP, regulatory affairs, academia, pharmaceutical manufacturers and retailers, international health partners and civil society representatives.
The policy addresses the issue of access to essential medicines, regulations for the manufacturing and quality assurance, licensing and sale of medicines and their supply chain management, rational use of medicines, and building of professional capacity of scientists, managers, and healthcare working in this sector.