ISLAMABAD: Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services on Thursday set up a subcommittee to review matters related to Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC).

The meeting, chaired by Senator Amir Waliuddin Chishti, was attended by the Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal, CEO of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap), Executive Director of NIH, and the PMDC president.

Senator Amir Chishti said that he did not want any conflict of interest in the process. The subcommittee will be headed by Senator Anusha Rahman, while Senators Agha Shahzaib Durrani, Rahat Jamali, and Sarmad Ali will be its members.

Mustafa Kamal informed the committee that, following the committee’s directions, arrangements were being made to conduct the Medical and Dental Colleges Admission Test (MDCAT) at the earliest.

He noted that educational boards have separate examination schedules, adding that the final FSc examinations will conclude on July 20, while the MDCAT will be held on Aug 16.

The minister further stated that the government aimed to eliminate the “MDCAT preparation mafia” and ensure a transparent examination system.

The committee members criticised the sharp increase in medicine prices across the country. During the briefing, officials informed the committee that medicine prices were deregulated during the caretaker government in 2024, allowing pharmaceutical companies to independently determine prices.

It was further revealed that prices of various medicines had increased by up to 100 percent over the past two years.

Officials explained that under the current law, Drap can regulate prices only for essential life-saving medicines. The minister clarified that the health ministry has no direct role in increasing or decreasing medicine prices.

The committee directed the head of Drap to formulate a clear pricing mechanism for medicines and also decided to summon officials from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics in the next meeting.

Committee members remarked that the pharmaceutical business appeared to be among the most profitable sectors in Pakistan and stressed that giving pharmaceutical companies unrestricted authority to determine medicine prices was unacceptable. They emphasised the need to review the existing law.

During the briefing, Drap Chief Dr Obaidullah Malik informed the committee that there were currently 659 pharmaceutical companies operating in Pakistan, while 394 institutions import medicines and vaccines from abroad.

Meeting was attended by Senators Syed Masroor, Sarmad Ali, Rahat Jamali, Samina Mumtaz Zehri, Agha Shahzaib Durrani, Nasir Mehmood Butt and Anusha Rahman (through video link).

Published in Dawn, May 8th, 2026