May 15, 2008	Thursday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 9, 1429

LAHORE, May 14: Amid rocketing prices in all sectors, the local and multinational pharmaceutical companies have given a fresh dose of the bitter pill to the people by announcing increase in the rates of a number of essential medicines.

The increase in the prices of some 20 essential medicines ranges between 10 and 100 per cent, and the pharmaceutical companies come up with a straightforward justification: “exorbitant increase in the prices of POL products”.

The decision is alleged to be a violation of the rules which bind the pharmaceutical companies (local and multinational) to take prior permission from the Federal Health Department for any rise in medicines’ prices.

The prices of antibiotics -- Hipro 500mg, Cefim Syrup, Cebosh syrup 100mg, Cebosh syrup 400mg and Loxat 200mg -- have been increased from Rs100 to Rs160, Rs128 to Rs133, Rs100 to Rs115, Rs200 to Rs235 and Rs79 to Rs120, respectively. Paraxyl tablets (depression) will now cost Rs200 instead of Rs180, Rheumatin tablets (painkiller) Rs230 instead of Rs150, Vastarel 35mg (cardiovascular) price has been enhanced from Rs198 to Rs220, Gelry l2mg (diabetes) Rs100 to Rs110, Promto 20mg (dialysis) Rs130 to Rs159, BD Insulin (diabetes), Rhinosone (nasal spray) Rs22 to Rs32, Spiromid tablets (blood pressure) Rs116 to Rs136, Metodine DF tablets (diarrhoea) Rs49 to Rs53, Blokium 50mg (hypertension) Rs142 to Rs156, Duphastone (gynaecology) Rs325 to Rs350, Loprin 75mg (anti-platelets) Rs25 to Rs30 and Lomper 20mg (stomach) Rs79 to Rs159.

Even the price of gripe water, which is used for child nutrition, has been increased from Rs17 to Rs22.

Expressing concern over the increase in the medicines’ prices, Punjab Chemists Council President Nisar Chaudhry held the health department responsible for the situation. “The increase shows that the government has no control over the prices of essential and commonly-used medicines,” he said. The multinational companies, he said, had increased the prices of commonly-used medicines on their own and often created artificial shortage of such medicines to make maximum profit. He demanded that the government should devise a mechanism to check the price enhancement of medicines.

HOSPITAL WASTE: District Coordination Officer Sajjad Ahmad has constituted a four-member committee to give recommendations on the issue of hospital waste theft.

The committee, comprising Dr Junaidullah, Lt-Col Salim Khokhar (retired), Dr Khalid Shah and Ziaul Hasan Bokhari, will submit its report to the DCO within a week.

A separate six-member committee has also been formed which will find out the mafia involved in the illegal sale of hospital waste after recycling it.