The prices of widely used medicines in Pakistan are higher than Bangladesh, says a study. The comparative study of 105 top selling drugs, conducted by the Foundation for the Preferment of Pharmaceutical Sciences (FPPS) recently indicates that the prices of 77 medicines in Pakistan are higher than Bangladesh while only 28 drugs are costlier in Bangladesh.

The study showed that the price difference in 105 medicines between the two countries was 908 per cent. It suggested that out of 105 drugs six are about 500 per cent higher in Pakistan than Bangladesh.

Similarly 27 medicines in Pakistan are costlier between 101 to 500 per cent as compared to only six in Bangladesh. Nine medicines in Pakistan had a price difference between 51 to 100 per cent while in Bangladesh there were only two medicines which came under this category.

In Pakistan 28 medicines had a difference between 11 to 50 per cent while there existed only 14 in Bangladesh. Likewise there were seven medicines which have a difference between 0-10 percent while only six medicines fall in this category in Bangladesh.

President FPPS Sajid Munir and secretary general Mohammad Usman told reporters at a press conference that the study had been conducted to place accurate data before President Pervez Musharraf and his cabinet, to help them arrive at a correct decision on drug prices/pricing policy and proposed deregulation of pharmaceutical sector, which was being advocated by certain quarters.

The foundation had earlier released a similar price comparison list between India and Pakistan, suggesting that out of 115 medicines, the prices of 87 medicines were higher in Pakistan than India. Professors of Peshawar University checked the study and verified that the survey was carried out on scientific basis that would help us in teaching as well as arrive at new decisions, they claimed.

They said prices of medicines sold in Bangla-desh were taken from MIMS their official Pharma guide and prices of medicines available in Pakistan were taken from International Medicines Statistics (IMS-2001) (Quarter-I) and Pharma guide. They cited the example of Losec 20 mg capsules, 14 strips, with a price difference of 908.95 per cent. It was being sold in Pakistan at Rs791.32 and for Rs78 in Bangladesh.

Similarly, Ventolin syp 60 ml had a price difference of 153.25 per cent, Tarivid tab 10 strips, 156 per cent, Daonil 60 strips, 444 per cent, Ciproxin 100 ml 697 per cent, Norvasc 10 mg tab/20 strips 236 per cent, Fefol Vit 30 strips 507 per cent, Vibramycin 30 strips 215 per cent, Renitec 5 mg tab 250 mg, Penbritin 250 mg cap/ 100s 318 per cent, Neurobion 3ml injection 156 per cent.

The news conference which was attended by Najamul Hassan Jawa, chairman North Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers'' Association (PPMA), S Nadeem Shami, secretary general Punjab Chemists and Druggist Association, Imran Ahmad Mumtaz, executive member Pakistan Pharmacist Association, Shafqat Hamdani of Shifa International Hospital and Ayaz Kiani of The Network for Consumers Protection, alleged that some multinational pharmaceutical companies were lobbying for increase in medicine prices through a policy of deregulation being prepared by the ministry of commerce and industry.

They said one of the reasons for this significant price difference was the 1993 partial decontrol of prices in Pakistan, which was the result of the recommendation of the then Deputy Chairman Planning Commission and ECC.

"Free market economy was not applicable in the health sector because medicines were not a consumer product. Therefore deregulation should be opposed enbloc," they said.

During the last six months the ministry for commerce and industry had been advocating deregulation of drug prices and pharmaceutical industry.

Medicines were beyond people''s reach since prices of 156 drugs had registered an increase ranging from 200 to 700 per cent. They recalled that a meeting was convened in the ministry of industry in the last week of March, where the ministry pleaded for deregulation of drug prices, automatic registration of new molecules, which was not being done in any developing country.

They alleged that the working paper, produced by the ministry contained incorrect data on the number of manufacturers/importers, market size, past experience of partial decontrol of drug prices announced in 1993 and number of registered drugs.