July 21, 2002	Sunday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 10,1423

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ISLAMABAD, July 20: A special meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet (ECC) will be held here on Monday to discuss the drug policy and propose changes in it.

Official sources said here on Saturday that pricing formula had become outdated which needed to be changed in order to discourage increase in the prices of medicines without any justification.

The meeting will also discuss de-regulation of a number of medicines. “There is an impression that the multinational companies always look for an opportunity to get the prices of their drugs increased with the help of the government officials concerned,” an official admitted.

He said the government planned to meet all the stakeholders including, multinationals, manufacturers and the consumers’ representatives before updating the existing drug policy. Later, the federal cabinet will approve the updated drug policy.