Patients suffer as 79 life-saving drugs disappear from Pakistani markets

Lahore: A severe shortage of life-saving medicines has gripped the country, with 79 essential drugs, including insulin, currently unavailable. The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has warned that the crisis poses a grave threat to the lives of millions of patients.

The PMA expressed deep concern over the extraordinary and acute shortage of life-saving and essential medicines across Pakistan, cautioning that the situation has become a life-threatening emergency for countless patients.

The association stated that at least 80 critical medicines are unavailable, 25 of which have no alternatives. These include life-saving drugs used in the treatment of diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, cardiovascular conditions, and psychiatric disorders.

“We urge the government to take immediate and decisive measures to contain this devastating crisis,” the statement read. “The shortage of medicines is not a minor issue but a deadly risk for patients suffering from chronic and severe illnesses.”

The PMA further noted that patients are facing serious complications and their health is deteriorating rapidly. For example, the unavailability of long-acting insulin injections is preventing diabetic patients from controlling blood sugar, increasing the risks of kidney failure, vision loss, and amputations. Similarly, transplant patients are at risk of contracting dangerous fungal infections due to a shortage of a key antifungal drug.

The statement emphasized that this is also a humanitarian issue, as people in Pakistan are already grappling with a deep financial crisis and extreme psychological stress.

The association urged the government to immediately approve a new and realistic drug pricing policy that factors in production costs and makes the manufacturing of essential medicines financially viable.

The PMA identified the unchecked black market as a major cause of the crisis, where illegal trade has flourished nationwide, driving repeated price hikes in essential medicines. For instance, the price of a single vial of insulin has surged more than threefold in the black market, putting it beyond the reach of most families. The PMA called for a nationwide crackdown on these criminal networks and strict action against profiteers.

It further proposed that the government establish a powerful task force comprising representatives from the Ministry of Health, the PMA, and the pharmaceutical industry, with the authority to make urgent decisions regarding imports, licensing, and production in order to overcome the shortage.

The Pakistan Drug Regulatory Authority (DRAP) also came under criticism for failing to fulfill its core responsibility of ensuring the availability of safe and effective medicines. While DRAP has attributed the crisis to international supply chain disruptions, the PMA rejected this explanation as inadequate, calling it an attempt to deflect attention from domestic policy failures.

The statement demanded that DRAP be held accountable for its inaction and lack of foresight, stressing that the authority must move beyond vague assurances and take concrete steps, including facilitating emergency imports and maintaining complete transparency about its actions, to resolve the crisis.