SHC orders govt to fix Panadol's price within a month

• Panadol is commonly used to relieve fever and pain.
• Directive comes during hearing of contempt of court plea filed by Panadol manufacturer.
• DRAP apprises court that federal govt’s node is needed to raise price of medicines.

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday ordered the federal government to fix the price of Panadol — a medicine commonly used to relieve fever and pain — in the next four weeks.

The orders came during the hearing of a contempt of court petition filed by the pharmaceutical company that manufactures the medicine. It had moved the SHC over the government's non-compliance of the court’s earlier orders about raising Panadol's price.

During the course of the proceedings, the officials of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) apprised the court that the federal government’s nod is needed to raise the price of medicines.

At this, the SHC directed the federal government to decide the price of the medicine in the next cabinet meeting and submit a report to the court in this regard.

The Centre’s lawyer admitted that the matter related to the price of Panadol did not come under discussion in the previous cabinet meeting.

In its petition, the pharmaceutical company stated that they purchase raw materials for the medicine in dollars, adding that the cost of the medicine has increased significantly due to the rupee’s continuous fall against the greenback in recent weeks.

The petitioner said that the government is reluctant to increase the price of the medicine.