Life-saving drugs become unaffordable for poor patients amid price hikes in Karachi

KARACHI: The affordability of life-saving medicines has become an escalating crisis in Karachi, as drug prices soared by 50% or more in 2024 compared to 2023. This significant rise has made critical treatments inaccessible to many underprivileged patients, further burdening an already strained healthcare system.

Among the most affected are medications for heart disease, diabetes, mental health, allergies, and multivitamins. Industry data reveals that Pakistan has 900 registered drug formulations, with 400 classified as essential and 500 as non-essential medicines. While the federal government permits a 7% annual increase in essential medicine prices, non-essential drugs have been decontrolled, allowing manufacturers to set prices without regulatory limits.

The pharmaceutical supply chain also faces a shortage of vital imported injections. Compounding the issue, an 18% General Sales Tax (GST) on alternative medicines was introduced in 2024, though allopathic medicines remain exempt.

Addressing the media, Secretary General of the Pakistan Chemist and Drug Association (PCDA), Asim Jameel Siddiqui, highlighted the correlation between currency depreciation, inflation, and skyrocketing drug prices. “Most medicines have experienced price hikes exceeding 50% in 2024, disproportionately affecting non-essential drugs due to deregulation,” he stated.

Siddiqui pointed out that prices of multinational pharmaceuticals are significantly higher than their local counterparts. He explained that after deregulation, pharmaceutical companies raised prices at will, worsening access to essential treatments. He cited specific examples:

• Pheniramine Maleate injection rose from Rs 432 in April 2024 to Rs 1,500 in August 2024.
• Multivitamins, priced at Rs 224 in April, reached Rs 351 by October 2024.
• Methotrexate capsules, once Rs 330, surged to Rs 665.
• Prochlorperazine Maleate, used in nausea management, jumped from Rs 312 in February to Rs 900 in September 2024.
• A common cough syrup increased from Rs 89 to Rs 130 within a few months.

According to industry research, unregulated price increments have occurred as frequently as every 15 days, with some drug packets seeing increases of Rs 300 to Rs 400 per unit.

Zubair Wahab, a representative of Karachi’s Wholesale Medicines Market, corroborated these findings, emphasizing the relentless rise in prices, often threefold within a single month. He warned that the current pricing trajectory poses severe challenges for patient adherence to prescribed medications, thereby exacerbating public health risks.

The relentless inflation of drug prices necessitates immediate regulatory intervention and policy reforms to safeguard affordable access to essential healthcare.