ISLAMABAD: Amid a shortage of several medicines in the market, the Drug Regulatory Auth­ori­­ty of Pakistan (Drap) has claimed that the situation will improve in coming mo­­nths while also working to ensure availability of some alternative brands.

Also, Pakistan Phar­ma­ceutical Manufacturers’ Association (PPMA) representative Usman Shau­kat said the supply situation was improving gradually as some pricing and hardship cases had been resolved and brands were being relaunched in the retail market.

Not only medicines for cancer, blood pressure and diabetes are short in supply, but people have also been facing shortage of anti-tetanus vaccine.

However, the health mi­­nistry says 600,000 doses of Tetanus Toxoid Vaccine have been tested and dossier for lot release will be submitted on Tuesday.

A senior health official, wishing not to be quoted, said the anti-tetanus vaccine had been short for a few months though the situation was gradually improving. “Our monthly requirement of anti-tetanus vaccine is 500,000 to 600,000 doses. About 1.2 million doses of vaccine have been distributed since June 16 till date across Pakistan,” he disclosed.

The official said curre­ntly over 1.5 million doses were available though they need to be tested. In all, 400,000 doses will be tested on Aug 7 and 8, 300,000 doses on Aug 12 and 281,746 doses on 15 before being allowed to dispatch in the market.

The official said that the shortage of medicine was an “international phenomenon”.

“Even if you go on the website of the US Food and Drug Administration, you will find a list of short medicines as a number of companies stop manufacturing due to issues rela­ted to material or their plant/manufacturing. Si­­milarly, other countries also face the issue of medicine shortage,” he said.

“However, we have esta­blished a Committee on Shortage of Life-Saving Drugs which holds its meetings on a daily basis. As time to time different bands disappear from the market, due to company- or price-related issues, the committee ensures that a number of alternatives of every medicine should be available in the market,” he said.

To a question, he said the federal cabinet had repeatedly rejec­ted the pri­ce increase before agreeing that the increase in prices was necessary under hardship category. The cabinet did approve “some of the cases”, he added.

When companies claim that their manufacturing cost has exceeded the maximum retail price (MRP), cases are moved to federal cabinet to allow increase in prices.

Former central executive committee member of the PPMA Usman Shaukat told Dawn that the shortage of leading pharmaceutical brands was created in the past few years due to supply chain issues, pricing issues, and particularly the imported brands were facing shortages due to rising cost of import vis a vis dollar exchange rate fluctuations. “However, the su­­pply side situation is impr­oving gradually as pricing hardship cases have been resolved. Also, several costly imported brands are being shifted to local production by domestic manufacturers. Hence, several leading imported brands shall also be readily available soon,” he claimed.

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2024