The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has warned of an alarming and severe shortage of life saving and essential medicines across the country, including insulin and 79 other critical drugs, posing a threat to the lives of millions of patients.
According to the association, at least 80 key medicines are currently unavailable, 25 of which have no substitutes. These include life saving medicines used for the treatment of diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, cardiovascular diseases, and mental health disorders.
The statement highlighted that this crisis is not a minor issue but a life threatening challenge for patients suffering from chronic and serious illnesses. It called on the government to take immediate and decisive action to control this devastating situation.
Patients are reportedly facing severe complications and a rapid deterioration in their health due to the unavailability of essential medications. For example, the absence of long-acting insulin injections is preventing diabetic patients from managing their blood sugar levels, leading to increased risks of kidney failure, vision loss, and amputations. Similarly, transplant patients are becoming vulnerable to dangerous fungal infections due to the shortage of a critical antifungal drug.
The association stressed that this crisis is also a humanitarian issue, noting that the people of Pakistan are already facing extreme financial hardship and mental stress.
PMA urged the government to immediately approve a new and realistic medicine pricing policy that would make the production of essential drugs financially viable by considering production costs.
One of the major causes of the shortage, according to the statement, is the uncontrolled black market trade, which has fueled repeated price hikes of essential medicines across the country. For example, the price of a vial of insulin in the black market has risen to more than three times its original price, making it unaffordable for most families.
The association called for a nationwide crackdown on these criminal networks and strict action against profiteers. It also proposed the formation of a powerful task force comprising representatives of the Ministry of Health, PMA, and the pharmaceutical industry to make urgent decisions regarding imports, licensing, and production to overcome the current shortage.
Furthermore, the Pakistan Drug Regulatory Authority (DRAP) came under heavy criticism for failing to fulfill its primary responsibility of ensuring the availability of safe and effective medicines.
While DRAP has attributed the crisis to international supply chain disruptions, PMA dismissed this explanation as insufficient and an attempt to divert attention from domestic policy failures.
The statement demanded that DRAP be held accountable for its inaction and lack of foresight and urged the authority to move beyond vague assurances by taking concrete measures to tackle the crisis, including facilitating emergency imports and ensuring complete transparency about its actions.
