KARACHI, Nov 3: Some local pharmaceutical manufacturers have increased prices of drugs by two to over 57 per cent in the last one and a half months.The increase has come at a time when the consumers are groaning under record high inflation in essential food items.

The manufacturers confirmed to Dawn on Monday that the prices had been increased. They, however, insisted that the increase was within permissible limits.

A random market survey has disclosed that some 15-20 local companies have raised prices of some products.

However, Pakistan Chemists and Druggists Association (PCDA) Vice-Chairman Shakeel Nagar told Dawn that 10 companies had unilaterally jacked up prices by 25-40 per cent.He said the association had informed the health ministry, which was not aware of this development, about the price hike.

He said that the ministry had also been asked to take action these local pharma giants for pushing up prices without getting any prior approval from the price committee of the ministry.

He recalled that an SRO issued in 2003 had clearly mentioned that the prices could not be increased without the permission of the health ministry. “But these companies have violated this order.”

“The local pharma companies may be facing problems in view of the rising raw material costs on international markets and devaluation of the rupee against the dollar, but their demand for sharp increase in prices is unfair,” observed an independent drug market analyst.

He said that 25 per cent drugs were those in which price increase of 17 per cent, as proposed by the local pharma companies, would not make any major impact. But, there were 75 per cent drugs whose prices were already very high and there was no need for any further increase.

The PCDA vice-chairman however said that the association was not invited in the last two meetings of the price committee of the ministry and urged that the government should consult all stakeholders before taking any decision on the price issue.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufactures Association (PPMA) chairman Kashif Sajjad told Dawn that there was no need for any panic as the prices were being increased under the price ceiling already approved by the government. “No body is pushing up the rate beyond the approved limit,” he asserted.

He said that some companies, which had fixed the retail rate of a drug at Rs80 instead of officially allowed limit of Rs100, were now revising up their prices after informing the ministry of health.

“The PPMA had sought a general price