{
  "id": 16647709,
  "title": "Govt orders review of existing drug pricing formula to ensure medicines are priced fairly",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/26/govt-orders-review-of-existing-drug-pricing-formula-to-ensure-16647709",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-26T18:59:17.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn - Pakistan",
    "slug": "dawn-pakistan",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2040010/govt-orders-review-of-existing-drug-pricing-formula-to-ensure-medicines-are-priced-fairly"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Pakistani government has mandated a review of the existing drug pricing formula to guarantee fair pricing of medications and prevent unjustified price increases. Economic Affairs Minister Ahad Cheema chaired a meeting of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) to promote transparency and address concerns raised by the pharmaceutical industry. The meeting was informed that sufficient supplies of the trivalent influenza vaccine, as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), were currently available in the market. Drap has withdrawn a hardship case regarding the vaccine's pricing, as the international market controlled its costs. The government official emphasized that any increase in medicine prices must be justified and called for the incorporation of an independent, rules-based mechanism with periodic cost-linked adjustments to avoid backlog of hardship cases. The Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA) urged the government to involve industry stakeholders in the formula review to ensure the outcome is practical and sustainable. PPMA Vice Chairman Usman Shaukat emphasized the need for affordability and accessibility, stressing that the real threat to patients is not justified price adjustments but the unavailability of medicines on the shelves due to rising costs of production and reliance on imported materials.",
  "summary": "ISLAMABAD: The government on Monday warned that drug prices must not be increased without valid justification and ordered a review of the existing pricing formula to ensure medicines are priced fairly without creating unnecessary hurdles for patients, importers or the pharmaceutical industry. Economic Affairs Minister Ahad Cheema, who chaired a meeting of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}