Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Establishment Division Ahad Cheema has directed the Ministry of National Health Services and the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) to urgently revise the regulatory framework governing drug prices. He directed that changes be made to the Hardship Policy and the composition of the DRAP Policy Board, with a clear focus on protecting consumers from unjustified price increases while ensuring the availability of essential medicines.

Ahad Cheema expressed dissatisfaction with DRAP's existing formula for determining increases in medicine prices, saying the mechanism required a comprehensive review to ensure any price revision was transparent, evidence-based, and fully justified. He directed DRAP to review and strengthen the price-increase formula by introducing greater scrutiny and independent checks to ensure cost pressures were not automatically passed on to consumers through higher medicine prices.

Chairing a meeting on drug pricing, Minister Ahad Cheema directed the Secretary of National Health Services and the CEO of DRAP to finalise and present the revised rules governing the Hardship Policy at the earliest, so that they could be placed before the relevant forum for approval without delay. He stressed that the revised framework must ensure hardship provisions provide relief only in genuine cases and do not become a mechanism for transferring disproportionate commercial costs to patients.

The federal minister also directed that the composition of the DRAP Policy Board be revised to strengthen expertise and evidence-based decision-making. He called for the inclusion of a health economist and a public health expert on the board. The Ministry of National Health Services and DRAP agreed with the proposal, and Ahad Cheema instructed concerned officials to initiate the necessary process and place the proposed changes before the relevant forum for approval at the earliest.

"Drug-pricing decisions have a direct impact on millions of households. Our regulatory framework must therefore combine pharmaceutical sustainability with affordability and strong consumer protection," Ahad Cheema said. During the meeting, DRAP officials briefed the federal minister on the existing Hardship Policy and its application to essential medicines. Ahad Cheema observed that importers of essential medicines often seek relief under the Hardship Policy and subsequently also seek an increase in prices. He said the revised rules must address this issue and ensure that benefits provided under the Hardship Policy were appropriately reflected in the pricing structure rather than resulting in an additional burden on consumers. Ahad Cheema stressed that necessary adjustments should be made between importer and retailer margins.