ISLAMABAD: Medicines for treating brain tumours is being sold in Pakistan for 10 times more than what it costs in other countries, a letter written by a federal drug inspector (FDI) to the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) says.

Copies of the letter written by FDI Dr Obaid Ali, available with Dawn, were sent to the concerned pharmaceutical company, the Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) and Drap. It says the cancer treatment drug manufactured in India is also registered in Pakistan.

“FDI has also initiated an inquiry on the complaint that the Maximum Retail Price of the product being sold in Pakistan is Rs31,000 for five capsules of 100mg medicine. Whereas some patients manage to get the same medicine of the same manufacturer in Pakistani Rs3,000 to Rs5,000 from India as in India prices are very low compared to Pakistan,” the letter says.

Drug inspector tells Drap five capsules of drug for brain tumour sold for Rs31,000; people forced to buy cheaper smuggled drugs

The letter dated Nov 13 says coordination between different offices is required to understand the magnitude of the potential effect and the cause of such management between the patient and supplier.

The concerned company has been directed to share a copy of the medicine’s registration; the last three invoices for the import of the medicine, details of the same drug manufactured in India and other countries being sold by the same company and arrange for the medicine to be tested from the parent company.

When asked, Dr Ali confirmed he had written the letter to the company and sent copies to the ministry and Drap.

A Drap official told Dawn it is not only this one company which is selling the medicine at 10 times of what it is sold for in India.

“The majority of the patients buy the medicine for Rs31,000 for five capsules and those who are better informed search the medicine on the Internet or they request pharmacies to smuggle medicine for them and therefore get them at cheaper prices,” he said.

“The Drap management did not take serious action over the issue because very influential people are running pharmaceutical companies and import medicines. I suggest the Drap management take action against these companies who mint money from people,” he said.

He suggested Drap require companies to submit import invoices which are given to the customs department and that prices should be fixed according to the import invoices.

Drap CEO Dr Mohammad Aslam told Dawn the authority frequently takes action on such complaints. He said medicine prices in Pakistan are fixed after comparing them with prices in India and Bangladesh and that it was unlikely that the drug will cost so much more than what it costs in India.

“I will personally look into the matter and will take appropriate action. I will also send the case to the Drug Pricing Committee and the price will be reconsidered if it is found that the drug is sold at exorbitant rates,” he said.

People should be careful when purchasing smuggled drugs from India, which is notorious for spurious drugs, he said.

Dr Aslam added that Drap and Customs had recently raided and stopped the trafficking of spurious controlled drugs which were hidden in a consignment of clothes being exported to UAE from Karachi.

“Controlled drug molecules become short in the Pakistani market which may be due to them being smuggled out.

The drug prices in the Gulf are much higher compared to Pakistan and India, which is also another reason for the smuggling out of such drugs,” he said.

Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2017