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Pakistan is witnessing a growing shortage of several essential medicines, leaving patients and their families struggling to access vital treatments, including advanced cancer drugs, vaccines and other life-saving therapies.
Healthcare experts, pharmaceutical traders and industry insiders warn that the scarcity is affecting multiple regions of the country and creating serious concerns about patient care. The shortage has been observed across pharmacies and medical facilities, where many crucial medicines are either unavailable or in extremely limited supply, as reported by Dawn. According to Dawn, industry representatives say the problem is not linked to regional instability or disruptions in global supply chains. Instead, they attribute the situation largely to policy delays within Pakistan's regulatory system. Pharmaceutical sources stated that most medicines and raw materials imported into Pakistan originate from China, which continues to remain commercially active and capable of supplying pharmaceutical products. However, the key challenge lies in the government's failure to officially notify prices for several newly approved medicines. Without formal price fixation, pharmaceutical companies and importers are reluctant to bring these products into the country due to the risk of regulatory scrutiny. Suppliers fear that distributing medicines without officially approved prices could expose them to legal complications. Doctors say the shortage has significantly affected access to modern cancer treatments, which are widely used globally to treat various forms of cancer, including leukaemia. Medical specialists stress that these therapies are considered standard treatments in many parts of the world, and their absence in Pakistan deprives patients of advanced medical care that could improve survival rates. Apart from oncology drugs, other important medicines are also becoming scarce, as highlighted by Dawn. Several vaccines are also reportedly affected, including those for typhoid, polio and pneumococcal infections. Treatments for rabies exposure, haemophilia and malaria have also been impacted by the ongoing shortage. Industry officials say the delay in notifying prices, despite recommendations already submitted by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, has stalled the legal introduction of several medicines into the market. Experts warn that such shortages may encourage the spread of smuggled, counterfeit or unregulated medicines, putting patients' lives at serious risk while highlighting persistent weaknesses in Pakistan's healthcare governance, as reported by Dawn. (ANI)
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