The prices of non-essential medications in Pakistan are composed to rise following the Federal Government’s decision to grant pharmaceutical companies autonomy in setting their prices.

In a notification released by the Federal Cabinet on Tuesday, the Government announced the deregulation of prices for non-essential medications previously overseen by the Ministry of Health.

However, pharmaceutical companies are still banned from altering the prices of 464 medications listed on the National Essential Medicines List (NEML).

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The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) will hold its oversight of pricing for life-saving medications.

Earlier this month, the Federal Cabinet approved price hikes for 146 life-saving medications in Pakistan.

Furthermore, the Ministry of National Health Services and DRAP are urging citizens to report medicine shortages in the market via the authority’s online platform.