ISLAMABAD: After a recent hike in prices and the unavailability of essential drugs, Federal Ombudsman Salman Faruqi took notice of the status of the essential drug policy and its non-implementation.

The ombudsman’s office has also established a committee to identify the reasons for why the Essential Drug Scheme (EDS) has not been fully implemented, for the unavailability of life saving drugs and to address public complaints.

Other than finding out more about how much access both the public and private sector has to essential drugs, the committee has also been tasked with suggesting mechanisms for the implementation of EDS.

The committee will also be recommending ways of ensuring that life saving drugs are of high quality and are available at affordable prices.

Retired Gen Mahmood Ahmed Akhtar, who has formerly served as surgeon general with the Pakistan Army, will head the 13-member committee and Senior Adviser Wafaqi Mohtasib Secretariat Javed Akhtar will be its secretary.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), essential drugs are those that ‘satisfy the health care needs of the population. They are selected with regard to public health relevance, evidence on efficacy and safety and comparative cost-effectiveness’.

WHO says they should be available to everyone in adequate dosages. To ensure this, National Drug Policy was formulated in 1996 and the National Health Policy in 1997. One of the objectives of these policies was to develop and promote the concept of essential drugs.

Pakistan’s list of essential drugs contains 480 drugs and was published in 2014. However, because the concerned departments did not take any action poor patients have not yet benefitted from these drugs being classed essential.

About 50pc of the population does not have access to essential drugs and the objectives of these policies are yet to be implemented because the concerned stakeholders are not taking an interest in doing so.

After the implementation of EDS, it can be seen which registered drugs are imported and which are locally manufactured and it will be ensured that safe, effective and high quality drugs are available to everyone at affordable prices.

The committee will submit its report to the Wafaqi Mohtasib in due time.

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2016