Country faces acute shortage of 27 life-saving drugs

KARACHI: Reports of acute shortage of life-saving medicines have resurfaced again across the country, causing unavailability of 27 essential drugs, including insulin, at medical outlets.

Drug Inspector Sindh has confirmed the scarcity, saying that crucial medicines are absent from Karachi's pharmacies.

In response, Secretary of the Provincial Drug Quality Control Board Sindh, Syed Adnan Rizvi, has issued directives for drug inspectors in Sindh to assess the situation.

The scarcity extends beyond Karachi, as officials reveal that 30 vital medicines, including antibiotics, psychiatric drugs, asthma medicines, tetanus injections, and various types of inhalers, are also unavailable in the federal capital Islamabad and its environs.

Contrary to these reports, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) officials contested claims of a widespread drug shortage, attributing the situation to potential supply chain disruptions.

Drap officials say regular surveys are being conducted to monitor drug availability, claiming that insulin was easily accessible to the patients, dismissing reports of any shortage in the market.