KARACHI: Karachi residents are grappling with an acute shortage of life-saving medicines in the pharmaceutical market, persisting for several weeks, leading to the illicit black market sale of essential drugs, with a significant surge in prices observed, particularly for insulin and other critical medications.
Notably, medicines for epilepsy patients are notably absent from the market.
Despite the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan's (Drap) recent crackdown and imposition of fines in various areas, the black market for medicines continues to thrive.
In a bid to address the crisis, the Drap registration board approved the registration of five additional insulin products, along with one product each for heparin and flu vaccine, as confirmed by Health Minister Dr Nadeem Jan.
Dr Nadeem Jan stated that this initiative aims to enhance the availability of these crucial medicines in the market, adding that the registration process has been expedited.
He assured that all necessary steps are being taken to ensure the uninterrupted supply of life-saving medicines.
President of the Wholesale Chemist Council of Pakistan, Muhammad Atif Hanif, attributed the shortage to pharmaceutical companies, accusing them of intentionally halting the supply of life-saving drugs, particularly insulin and medications for epilepsy.
He criticised the relevant authorities for failing to set prices for several life-saving drugs, leading companies to provide drugs at exorbitant rates to wholesalers. The situation remains a cause for concern, raising questions about the accessibility of essential medications for the residents of Karachi.