The country is currently grappling with a severe medicine crisis as more than 200 essential drugs are unavailable in hospitals and pharmacies. The situation is dire as around 100 essential medications have no alternative brands.
The shortage is attributed to several factors. Local pharmaceutical companies have ceased production due to demands for higher prices from manufacturers. Additionally, certain medications are not being imported because of fluctuating exchange rate.
Among the medicines in short supply are those for treating tuberculosis, blood thinning agents, Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy, mental illnesses, and various other life-threatening conditions. Even vaccines for preventing cervical cancer, Hepatitis B and A, human growth hormones, and eye drops for cataract prevention are in short supply.
The Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA) has highlighted that some local and multinational pharmaceutical companies have halted production due to their infeasibility. As a result, patients are resorting to smuggled and counterfeit medicines, exposing themselves to greater health risks.
Drug inspectors in Sindh, Punjab, and Islamabad have corroborated the scarcity of essential medicines and the growing reliance on smuggled alternatives.Â
To address the crisis, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has submitted a list of 220 medicines as hardship cases to the Ministry of Health, seeking price increases to be considered by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the federal cabinet. Their approval could help ensure the availability of the medicines and safeguard the lives of patients nationwide.
DRAP is implementing measures to expedite registrations and facilitate the availability of essential medicines, including heparin and imaging dyes. Some companies are showing a willingness to import these medicines from countries where prices are lower compared to Western pharmaceutical firms.
As the medicine crisis worsens, the government should tackle the shortages, guarantee the availability of critical medications, and protect the health and well-being of the nation’s citizens.
