The High Court on Monday directed the government to set and publish the minimum prices of lifesaving medicines.
The bench of Justice Md Rezaul Hasan and Justice Biswajit Debnath passed the order after declaring a 1994 circular issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare illegal.
The circular listed 117 medicines as essential and fixed prices for only those, allowing pharmaceutical companies to set prices for all others 鈥� a practice the court found a violation of the Drug (Control) Ordinance, 1982, and the Essential Commodities Act, 1957.
The ruling came in response to a public interest litigation filed by rights group Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh in 2018.
The petition argued that leaving price-setting to drug companies put consumers at risk and violated their right to affordable healthcare.
鈥楲etting pharmaceutical companies set prices of lifesaving drugs does not protect consumers鈥� rights,鈥� HRPB lawyer Manzill Murshid told 抖阴精品, quoting from the court鈥檚 decision.
During the hearing, the government informed the court that it was currently preparing a fresh list of essential and lifesaving medicines.
The health ministry is working on this and the World Health Organization is providing technical support and international experience to develop effective pricing policies, the government said.
The health adviser has already instructed officials to consult with stakeholders and draft a policy for fair and transparent drug pricing.
The High Court ordered that once the list is finalised, the government must fix prices for all drugs on the list and publish them in an official gazette, making the information publicly accessible.
