Transparency International Pakistan has written an important letter to Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal, strongly urging the promotion of generic medicines in the country. The organization emphasized that by switching to generic drugs, the government could potentially save billions of rupees and reduce the overall financial pressure on the national treasury.
The letter highlights the urgent need to recommend and purchase medicines using their generic names rather than expensive branded versions. Transparency International pointed out that if doctors begin prescribing only generic medicines, the government could significantly cut down healthcare costs. In addition, they recommended that all medicine purchases be made using the lowest-price method, approved by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP).
Moreover, the letter explained that generic medicines are often up to five times cheaper than branded alternatives. For instance, aspirin 300mg is available from different companies at prices ranging from Rs. 80 to Rs. 150. These wide differences in pricing reflect the unnecessary financial burden placed on the system when branded drugs are preferred over generics.
The organization also expressed concern over the lack of full implementation of the policy that requires doctors to prescribe medicines by their generic names. This gap in execution remains a serious issue. Although DRAP approves the quality and pricing of registered medicines beforehand, branded drugs are still being purchased unnecessarily, resulting in extra spending.
Transparency International has called on the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PEPRA) and the Prime Minister’s Office to ensure strict implementation of this policy. The watchdog stressed that encouraging generic medicine usage is not only in the public’s best interest but is also essential for the stability of the national economy.