Over 100 Life-Saving Medicines Run Short as Govt Delays Price Increase

A delay of more than two years in approving revised prices for essential medicines has led to critical shortages of over 100 medicines across Pakistan, raising concerns that counterfeit and substandard drugs could increasingly enter the market as patients struggle to find genuine products.

The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) recommended revised prices for 105 hardship category medicines more than two years ago after determining that rising production costs had made many essential drugs commercially unviable. However, the proposals remain pending with the federal cabinet, delaying a final decision, reported Dawn.

According to DRAP’s Drug Pricing Committee, higher costs of imported raw materials, energy, packaging, transportation, labor, financing, and the depreciation of the Pakistani rupee have significantly increased manufacturing costs, making production financially unsustainable under current prices.

As a result, several pharmaceutical companies have either reduced production or stopped manufacturing some medicines altogether, worsening shortages of life saving drugs used to treat cancer, heart disease, and other serious medical conditions.

Abdul Samad Buddani of the Pakistan Chemists and Druggists Association (PCDA) said 105 medicines are currently unavailable or in critically short supply. These include oral morphine for severe cancer pain, streptokinase injections used to treat heart attacks, chemotherapy drugs such as cisplatin, carboplatin, and doxorubicin, pediatric digoxin, pilocarpine eye drops, the yellow fever vaccine, folic acid tablets, and several immunoglobulin products.

Industry representatives warned that prolonged shortages are creating opportunities for counterfeiters and illegal suppliers to fill the gap left by genuine manufacturers. They cautioned that patients searching for hard to find medicines, particularly expensive cancer treatments and other life saving drugs, are increasingly at risk of purchasing fake or substandard products.

Pharmaceutical manufacturers argue that the hardship pricing mechanism exists to ensure continued availability of essential medicines, but repeated delays in approving revised prices have discouraged companies from continuing production. They urged the government to expedite the pending cases to restore supplies and prevent further disruptions.

Officials at DRAP confirmed that the recommendations have remained pending since February 2024, despite the authority completing its review and forwarding the proposals to the government. DRAP Chief Executive Officer Dr. Obaidullah Malik said the final decision now rests with the federal cabinet, which must determine th