Pakistan approved prices of 52 new essential medicines.
ISLAMABAD – The federal government has approved price fixing of 52 additional essential medicines, a move expected to improve access to advanced treatments for patients across Pakistan.
Newly approved drugs include treatments for serious conditions such as cancer, high blood pressure and diabetes, as well as drugs for respiratory diseases and vaccines used against infections.
Former Chairman of Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA) Dr. Qaiser Waheed said that the cabinet committee formed by the prime minister to determine the prices of medicines has recently approved the prices of 52 medicines. The committee was chaired by Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb.
The latest decision takes the number of prices of essential medicines approved by the government in the last four months to 87. In April 2026, the authorities approved the prices of 35 more medicines.
Pharmaceutical manufacturers are now waiting for the government to issue an official notification. According to Waheed, implementation of the approved prices will enable companies to start manufacturing and importing the drugs, a process that may take one to two months.
Industry representatives said that regulated pricing could make up for the shortage of many important treatments that have been unavailable because their prices have not been fixed for a long period of time. As a result, patients faced difficulties in accessing treatment or turned to expensive and unregulated smuggled drugs.
Former PPMA Chairman Tawqirul Haque said that the main beneficiaries will be patients, especially those who need advanced treatment for cancer, high blood pressure and diabetes. He further said that with formal approval of prices, pharmaceutical companies will also be able to export medicines.
The Cabinet Committee considered the recommendations of the Drug Pricing Committee and the Policy Board of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP). Federal Ministers Mustafa Kamal and Mohammad Raza Hayat Haraj also participated in the meeting.
The post Pakistan approved the prices of 52 new essential medicines appeared first on Daily Pakistan English News.
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