The government has decided to enforce effective oversight of the pharmaceutical industry.
According to details surfaced on Thursday, the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) and the Drug Regulatory Authority have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a joint framework for strict oversight of medicine prices, availability and marketing.
Under the memorandum, both institutions will share information and data for effective monitoring of the pharmaceutical market. The agreement covers policy research, capacity building and joint surveillance of market behaviour.
A coordinated framework will regulate medicine prices and availability, while joint action will target misleading advertisements and online marketing of pharmaceutical products. Member of the Competition Commission Salman Amin said that cooperation between the institutions is essential to halt misleading online marketing.
According to Drug Regulatory Authority Chief Executive Dr Ubaidullah, both institutions will take joint steps to ensure continuous availability of essential medicines.
