ISLAMABAD, Oct 19: Taking advantage of the absence of any drug regulatory mechanism in the country, manufacturers have increased the prices of intravenous drips mostly used to treat dengue patients; Dawn has learnt.

After the devolution of health affairs to provinces under the 18th amendment, the federal government is left with no powers to regulate the pharmaceutical industry, said official sources.

According to details shared with Dawn by a source, the prices of intravenous drip, Ringer Lactate, have been jacked up from Rs50-Rs55 to over Rs80.

“Ringer Lactate of 500ml and 1000ml is a solution often used for fluid resuscitation after blood loss due to trauma, surgery or a burn injury, and we have seen patients losing platelets after getting infected with the dengue virus,” said the source.

A medical expert said this drip was administered to a patient to save his life besides controlling the blood loss.

Prices of other intravenous drips like Ringer-D have increased from Rs60 to Rs90, Mannitol from Rs90 to over Rs160 and Dextrose from Rs50 to over Rs80.

The source said Mannitol was given to patients to prevent and treat the low output of urine associated with kidney failure. It is also used to reduce elevated pressure in the brain and eyes. Dextrose drip, he added, was administered to patients to supply water and calories to the body.

The source said drug companies had already taken a stay from the Lahore High Court over the price increase. Besides, they have also maintained that the Cabinet Division, looking after the drug affairs on ad hoc basis, had no defined role to refrain them from increasing the prices.

“When the Cabinet Division in one of its communications approached the drug companies asking for the reasons behind the current increase in prices, they said the federal government had no regulatory role after the implementation of 18th constitutional amendment,” said one official close to the development.

Some weeks before the devolution of health, the federal government had decided to establish Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) on the lines of Food and Drug Administration of the United States.

“A draft has been prepared and the provinces have given their consent except Punjab.” He said Punjab's refusal to sign DRAP draft had added a negative factor to the healthcare system since the drug manufacturers can raise the prices in the absence of a drug regulatory body at the federal and provincial level.

The draft of DRAP is being worked out by Secretary Cabinet Division Nargis Sethi and it's lying with her for over three months.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in a recent interaction with the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry assured the drug manufacturers that DRAP would be established and the Cabinet Division was working on it. Mr Gilani said to look after the pricing, registration and licensing affairs of the drug industry, a wing had been established in the Cabinet Division.

“The wing lacks drug experts and specialised officials to manage the concerns of the industry,” a drug manufacturer told Dawn.

He added: “The drug pricing, registration and even quality will deteriorate with every passing day since there is no control regime at the federal and provincial level over the drug industry.”

All we want is the early establishment of DRAP otherwise there are chances that companies would increase the prices of several drugs across the country, leaving the patients in trouble, he added.