KARACHI: Pakistan’s drug regulatory authority’s controversial pricing policy, devaluation of the local currency and imports in the debt-ridden country have led to an acute shortage of life-saving drugs, media reports said.
Pakistan is currently in the midst of a major financial crisis. Last year’s devastating floods in June left one-third of the country under water. More than 33 million people were displaced. The flood caused an economic damage of US$ 12.5 billion to the Pakistani economy.
Due to the devaluation of the Pakistani currency against the dollar and the drug pricing policy of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, their prices have increased manifold. It is economically unviable for importers to bring in at prevailing prices. Abdul Mannan, a pharmacist and importer of biological products, was quoted by The News as saying.
Public and private health centers are facing acute shortages of imported vaccines, cancer treatment drugs, fertility drugs and anesthesia after vendors halted supplies due to the dollar-rupee gap, according to media reports.
Although most medicines including syrups, tablets and injections are manufactured locally, Pakistan mainly imports vaccines and cancer drugs from India, China, Russia, European countries, America and Turkey.