ISLAMABAD: On Monday, the health ministry reduced the prices of twenty medications, some of which are used to treat cancer.
The Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) is anticipated to reduce the maximum retail price by up to Rs75,000 per month for patients.
Lung cancer, breast cancer, HIV, blood clotting, high blood pressure, eye infections, bone diseases, infertility in women, and fungal infections are among the medications.
A document provided by Dawn reveals that the cost of 30 tablets containing 150 milligrams of Tarceva has decreased by 30%. It cannot now be sold for more than Rs 214,710.
The price of the 100mg version of the drug, which is used to treat pancreatic and non-small cell lung cancer, has been set at Rs172,320.
The cost of a 450 mg Herceptin injection, which is used to treat cancers of the stomach, oesophagus, and breast, has been reduced by 30 percent to Rs199,741.
In order to treat cytomegalovirus retinitis in people who have acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), the maximum cost of 60 tablets of Valcyte has been set at Rs116,165.
The document states that the maximum cost of 28 tablets of the anticoagulant drug Xarelto, which is used to treat and prevent blood clots, will be Rs4,810.
Similarly, 20 Co-Renitec tablets cannot be sold for more than Rs258. By removing extra water and some electrolytes from the body, the medication helps lower blood pressure.
Timoptol eye drops will cost Rs 184, and Clomid, which is used to treat female infertility, will cost Rs 440.
In a similar vein, the cost of five injections of Zofran has been set at Rs4,659, while the cost of a 3mg injection of Aclasta, which is used to treat a number of bone diseases, cannot exceed Rs27,514. Cancer drug treatment (chemotherapy) and radiation therapy can cause nausea and vomiting.
Taxotere, a chemotherapy drug used to treat a variety of cancers, has been priced at Rs11,429 per injection.
Lamisil Cream, which is used to treat fungal infections, will cost Rs262 at its maximum price.
Sajid Shah, the ministry’s spokesperson, told Dawn that the health minister has been requesting a price reduction for medicines from the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan.
