The High Court on Monday directed the government to set and officially publish the minimum prices of lifesaving medicines, in a move aimed at protecting consumer rights and ensuring affordability.
The bench of Justice Md Rezaul Hasan and Justice Biswajit Debnath delivered the verdict after declaring a 1994 circular issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare illegal. That circular had 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 in 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 doesn鈥檛 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 with technical support from the World Health Organisation and drawing on international experience to develop effective pricing policies.
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 the official gazette, making the information publicly accessible.
