Karachi: The Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Association (PPMA) has dismissed as “alarmist and unfounded” recent claims of an unprecedented shortage of life-saving medicines in the country, as reported by the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) in a major newspaper, insisting that the situation has been misrepresented and does not reflect the ground realities.
In a strongly worded statement issued to the media, the Chairman of PPMA, Tauqeer Ul Haq, said such reports were “not based on facts and risk creating unnecessary panic among patients.” He pointed out that the Federal Government made decisions related to price fixation of essential medicines and deregulation of non-essential medicines last year, a move that immediately rehabilitated the supply of affected medicines. He added that the government’s decision to deregulate non-essential medicines had further ensured a continuous and stable flow of medicines, both essential and life-saving, to patients nationwide.
The PPMA Chairman said attempts to paint a picture of crisis overlooked the resilience of the local industry. “Yes, some multinational companies have exited Pakistan for commercial reasons, but their departure does not mean patients are left without options. Pakistani manufacturers, operating under international quality standards, are already present with reliable alternatives. To suggest otherwise is misleading,” he asserted.
Acknowledging that vaccines remain an area requiring urgent attention, the PPMA Chairman said this challenge was being addressed. “This is not a crisis unique to Pakistan; it is a global concern. PPMA is already working with DRAP and other stakeholders to build domestic vaccine manufacturing capacity so that long-term solutions are put in place.”
He warned against what he described as “selective and exaggerated narratives” that ignore the measures taken by regulators and local manufacturers. “The reality is that medicines are available, for example, insulin, heparin, and other cardiometabolic brands, along with the alternatives that exist, and the industry is committed to keeping supply uninterrupted. Spreading unfounded claims of scarcity only undermines public confidence in the health system,” he said.
Rejecting reports that patients were left without critical therapies, the association said the narrative of large-scale shortage risked creating unnecessary panic. Out of the claimed list of PMA regarding the unavailability of 80 brands, only 7 are not available, such as Chloro-butanol and Emedastine Difumarate, etc, but their local alternatives are available freely. There is also a category of brands with intermittent availability, like Sodium Amidotrizoate, etc, but even for those, the local alternatives are available. For insulin, only one specific company’s brand is not available, but the rest of the brands are in the market. Furthermore, it is to be noted that anti-cancer drugs and insulin are only available in temperature-controlled pharmacies and are mostly available in hospitals where they are related to treatments there.
“Such claims ignore the proactive measures taken by both regulators and local manufacturers. The industry has responded responsibly, ensuring that patients continue to have access to essential treatments without interruption,” the PPMA Chairman concluded.
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