ISLAMABAD, Sept 12: Ruling coalition members in the National Assembly on Friday demanded that generic names should be adopted for medicines in order to bring down their prices which were said to be constantly increasing.

Parliamentary Secretary for Health Raheela Yahya Munawar, however, was of the view that compared to other South Asian countries prices of medicines in Pakistan were already low by 65 per cent.

Replying to supplementary questions in the National Assembly, the parliamentary secretary conceded that there was a need for creating awareness among the masses about generic medicines, which she said were not popular because of a poor marketing strategy.

Dr Sher Afgan asked the secretary to inform the assembly about the fate of a resolution adopted in the house suggesting formulation of a policy on generic medicines in the country.

About the steps taken to reduce prices of medicines, Ms Munawar said the government had created an investment-friendly environment by adopting a liberal policy regarding licensing, registration and exports of medicines.

Market competition had also led to the reduction in prices of medicines, she said.

Prices in other countries of the region were also compared while fixing prices of imported drugs in the country. The government had not allowed overall annual price increase since December 2001, she said. She added prices of 57 drugs during 2002 were also reduced through negotiations with the producers.

Moreover, nine drug courts had been established by the federal government, which had imposed a fine of Rs477,290 in 6,622 cases since January 2001, she said.

She said drug manufacturing licenses were issued only to those manufacturers who had adequate facility for manufacturing and quality control of drugs.

Federal drug inspectors had also carried out 696 inspections since January 2002 at different manufacturing units, and the sale of drugs was regulated by the provincial government inspectors who monitored quality of medicines by drawing samples to get them tested at different laboratories, she said.