Pakistan Faces Shortage of Over 100 Life-Saving Medicines

Pakistan is facing a growing shortage of essential medicines, with more than 100 life-saving drugs no longer available in the market as manufacturers halt production of products they say have become commercially unsustainable.

Key points

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• The manufacturers' association notes the number at present being cited, around 105 medicines, does not reflect the full scale of the difficulty.
• The shortage has affected medicines applied to treat serious conditions including cancer, hypertension and diabetes.
• The matter is not simply concerning firms seeking higher costs throughout the board.

Notably, the shortage has affected medicines applied to treat serious conditions including cancer, hypertension and diabetes. Drug manufacturers and suppliers say the difficulty has developed gradually over the past two years as production costs climbed while approved retail costs remained unchanged.

Notably, the manufacturers' association notes the number at present being cited, around 105 medicines, does not reflect the full scale of the difficulty. Firms have largely ceased filing new applications for cost increases as earlier requests have remained unresolved for extended periods. All Punjab Districts to Obtain New CT Scan Machines.

Former Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Association Chairman Tauqeer Ul Haq remarked the Drug Pricing Policy 2018 requires hardship applications for financially unviable medicines to be decided within 60 to 90 days. Nevertheless, applications submitted over the past two years are still awaiting decisions.

Notably, the matter is not simply concerning firms seeking higher costs throughout the board. Manufacturers say they are asking for cost adjustments only for medicines where the existing approved rate no longer covers the cost of production. Ul Haq remarked continuing to manufacture and supply such medicines at a loss was not commercially sustainable.

In practice, the shortage is additionally creating risks for patients. Ul Haq cautioned that residents unable to find genuine medicines could turn to more expensive smuggled products or counterfeit drugs. Punjab Orders Drug Inspectors to Wear Body Cameras.

In practice, the administration at present controls the rates of life saving medicines. It account for concerning 40 percent of medicines sold in Pakistan, covering around 500 molecules. According to PPMA Senior Vice Chairman Kamran Nasir, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan and the Drug Pricing Committee have already assessed hardship applications and recommended revised rates in a number of cases.

Those recommendations, nevertheless, require final approval from the federal cabinet. Nasir remarked the recommendations have been sent to the cabinet repeatedly over the past two years but have not been taken up.

Drug manufacturers now want the pricing process changed so that DRAP can create final decisions on hardship applications instead of sending them to the cabinet. Nasir argued that DRAP already conducts the technical assessment, including comparisons with rates of the same medicines in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and recommends costs that do not exceed regional levels.

Notably, the manufacturers lately raised the problem with Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Mustafa Kamal, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and Adviser to the Prime Minister for Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar. Nasir remarked the office-holders agreed to take the matter to the prime minister and recommend giving DRAP greater authority over drug pricing.

Nasir remarked pharmaceutical manufacturers need a margin of around 10 to 15 percent to cover manufacturing and distribution costs, maintain their operations and reinvest in further production capacity and new products. Stay Connected with ProPakistani.

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Taken together, the developments around pakistan Faces Shortage of Over 100 Life point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.