E-DRUG: Pakistan government decides not to tax medicines
--------------------------------------------------
Dear E-druggers
In 2010 the Ministry of Finance in Pakistan proposed to apply a 16% General Sales Tax on medicines. The Ministry of Health (supported by HAI) and others opposed this. The National Assembly recently decided that all medicines would be exempt this tax.
This is welcome news, especially as tax exemptions on many other items were withdrawn. It is especially good news for a country where medicine availability in the public sector is very low, and medicines purchased in the private sector are largely unaffordable for millions of people.
Interestingly, this was not the first time the Pakistan government proposed to tax medicines. Back in 2003, 12.5% sales tax was imposed on medicines but with an exemption for life-saving medicines. The Ministry of Health's list of life-saving medicines expanded to 90% of medicines on the market. As little revenue was collected on medicines, it was decided to abolish the tax on all medicines.
E-DRUG: Pakistan government decides not to tax medicines (2)
---------------------------------------------------
Hi,
Certainly a good decision, worth appreciating and emulating by others. Hope all marginalised and growing economies will follow suit and save their populations from compulsory exploitation in the name of tax on medicines.
Good luck Pakistan and stay with this decision. Don't let the future Governments in the country change it.
Dr Vijay Thawani,
Professor & Head, Pharmacology Department,
VCSGGMSRI,Srinagar,Garhwal-246174.
Uttarakhand,India.
Cell: 7579039260
"Vijay Thawani" <vijaythawani@rediffmail.com>
E-DRUG: 8th Meeting of WHO Advisory Committee on Safety of Medicinal Products
----------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Colleagues,
Recommendations from the 8th Meeting of WHO Advisory Committee on Safety of Medicinal Products are available.
The WHO Advisory Committee on Safety of Medicinal Products (ACSoMP) was
established in 2003 to provide advice to WHO, including its
Collaborating Centre for International Drug Monitoring (the UMC), and
through it, to the Member States of WHO, on safety issues relating to
medicinal products. It guides WHO on general and specific issues related
to Pharmacovigilance (PV). The Committee is composed of 12 members drawn
from the WHO Expert Advisory Panels for Drug Evaluation and for Drug
Policies and Management and, where appropriate, in consultation with
other relevant WHO clusters and expert advisory panels. ACSoMP meets
once a year to discuss ongoing and new PV topics, with particular focus
on issues related to public health programmes.
The eighth ACSoMP meeting was held in WHO Headquarters, Geneva between
31 March and 1 April 2011. The summary of the meeting discussions and
recommendations are available on the WHO website at the following link: http://www.who.int/medicines/areas/quality_safety/safety_efficacy/recomm
endations.pdf
Thank you.
With best wishes,
Shanthi Pal
Quality Assurance and Safety: Medicines
Department of Essential Medicines and Pharmaceutical Policies
World Health Organization
Geneva, Switzerland
Tel: + 41 22 791 1318
E-mail: pals@who.int
Website: http://www.who.int/medicines