Sources in the pharmaceutical industry said proposals for revising the prices are still awaiting approval from the federal government, making it difficult for companies to continue producing several essential medicines.
The recommendations concern medicines placed in the “hardship category.” According to industry sources, the prolonged delay has resulted in shortages of several drugs used to treat cancer, heart disease, glaucoma and other serious conditions at hospitals and medical stores across the country.
Medicines currently unavailable or facing severe shortages include 10mg and 30mg oral morphine capsules used to treat severe cancer pain, streptokinase injections used in the treatment of heart attacks, and chemotherapy drugs such as cisplatin, carboplatin and doxorubicin.
Other medicines facing shortages include digoxin syrup for children, pilocarpine eye drops, yellow fever vaccines, folic acid tablets and various types of immunoglobulin medicines.
Pakistan Chemists and Druggists Association (PCDA) Chairman Abdul Samad Badani warned that prolonged shortages of genuine medicines could create opportunities for suppliers of counterfeit and illegal drugs.
He said when genuine medicines disappear from the market, patients may be forced to obtain medicines from unreliable sources, increasing the risk of counterfeit and substandard drugs entering the supply chain, particularly in the case of expensive cancer medicines and other life-saving drugs.
According to Badani, successive governments have delayed decisions on medicines in the hardship category despite clear recommendations from the relevant pricing committee. He said the situation has also discouraged pharmaceutical companies from continuing production of several essential medicines.
The PCDA has urged the federal government to immediately approve the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan’s (DRAP) recommendations regarding the 105 medicines so that pharmaceutical companies can resume production and restore supplies to the market.
Badani said pharmaceutical companies cannot continue producing essential medicines if they are unable to recover even their basic production costs. He said the purpose of the medicine pricing policy is to ensure that essential medicines remain available to patients, making timely decisions crucial.
He urged authorities to intervene immediately and address the shortage of essential medicines.
