Shortage of medicines from market irks patients

ISLAMABAD: Soon after increase in medicine prices across the country, the drug manufacturers have created an ‘artificial crisis’ to exploit on the situation, sources told ARY News.

It is learnt that 35 life-saving drugs have gone short countrywide. One of the drugs facing dearth included anti-rabies vaccines.

Besides, important medicines for cardiac disease, hypertension, depression, allergy, injection, chest congestion, and paralysis are also barely available at medical stores.

Read: Pharmaceutical companies announce to reduce prices on 395 medicines

Sources said import of anti-rabies vaccines has also stopped due to recent tension between Pakistan and India. The National Institute of Health is struggling to cope with the countrywide demand of medicines due to shortage created by manufacturers and dealers in the market.

On the contrary, the pharmaceutical companies yesterday had announced to reduce prices of 395 medicines across the country. Chairman Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA) Zahid Saeed said this while talking to media.

“We have announced to restore old prices on the medicines following pressure of the government,” he said. However, Zahid Saeed said, prices on 464 life-saving drugs would remain the same.

He acknowledged that the country was facing economic challenges for the last one and a half years.

On April 16, the Sindh High Court (SHC) had refused to grant interim relief sought by drug manufacturing companies over raids by drug inspector in the wake of medicines’ price hike.