Shortage of essential drugs call for immediate initiative from the government
January 18, 2009.
By Sajid Bashir:
As many as 61 different lifesaving and essential drugs have disappeared from the markets of Lahore since last few weeks.
These essential lifesaving drugs are missing from all the wholesale markets, medical stores and pharmacy chain outlets in various parts of the provincial metropolis.
President Pakistan Chemists Retailers Association, Ishaq Mayo said that there are several reasons behind the shortage of these vital medicines.
"A number of dealers who are manufacturing unregistered medicines, have gone underground because of the recent campaign of Punjab Government against the manufacturers of unregistered medicines. With the disappearance of these dealers medicines have become short," Mayo said.
"Besides, a large number of manufacturers are not providing medicines to the markets as required, the reason why shortage has become a regular feature. Such manufacturers should be prosecuted under the law of Provincial Drug Rules for not meeting the medicines' needs in the markets. On the other hand, there is need to check medicines export in such conditions.
"Patients may be dying without medicines so government needs to take immediate initiatives to overcome this problem," the president Pakistan Chemists Retailers Association said.
The list of 37 lifesaving drugs, which are manufactured in Pakistan, but are not available in the country, is as follows: GSK-manufactured eight drugs including Ventolin inhaler, Ventolin solution, Ventide inhaler, Thyroxin tab, Migril tab, Zyloric tab (300 mg), Betnovate cream –Up-John-manufactured five drugs including Solucartif 500 mg, Solu Medrol 500 mg, Solu Medrol 1 gm and Trobicin injection – Squibb-manufactured three drugs including Canacart A injection, Canacart A tincture and Canacart tab – Reckitt & Colmann-manufactured one drug Neo Mercazol tab – Lund Beck-manufactured one drug Denaxit 0.5 gm tab – and Elena Pharma's manufactured medicines including Cerebrolysine injection, Augmentin Tab 375 mg, Flamazin cream, Ritalin tab, Vitalux tab, Longifene tab, Litrison tab, Stemicin tab, Evion tab, Buscopan plus tab, Lantanon tab, Pyodine solution, Hepamerz syp, Hepamerz sachet, Mondecat injection, Kenadiol tab, Betalok Zoke tab, Filmacid Forte syp, Nisoderm lotion, Xaltide inhaler, Aquamin Forte tab and Cyclogest tab.
Besides, the 24 lifesaving drugs, which are smuggled hence remain unregistered, not available in markets across Pakistan are as follow: Anti-Snake injection (snake bite), Anabol tab, Questran powder 4 gm, Florin F tab, Isordil tab for heart attack, Crestor tab 10 mg for heart attack, Prograf 0.5 mg cap, Prograf 1 gm cap, Marevan tab for heart, Premarin tab for women Harmone disturbance, Winstrol injection, ACTH injection for paralysis, Cerebrolysin injection for paralysis, Vasolastin injection for paralysis, Cytotec tab for female delivery disturbance, Deltacortril Enteric tab, Hydrocortisone tab for Harmon regularization, Atrovent 500 mcg,/2ml solution for Asthma, Trental 400 mg tab for hemoreolojik ajan, Daabol DS tab (Methandrostenolone 10 mg), LevoThyroxin tab, Agiolax, Plaquanil tab and Infacol drops for children colic drops.
Shahrukh Iqbal, an asthma patient, said unavailability of Ventolin spoke volumes of the apathy of the agencies responsible and the callousness of the "profit-hungry" drug manufacturers.
Dr Saeed Elahi, Chairman Chief Minister's Task Force on Spurious Drugs, told TNS that the reasons behind the 61 lifesaving missing drugs are identified as lesser profit margin prompting the pharmaceutical manufacturing companies to either stop producing essential drugs or manufacture in limited quantity to earn bigger profit margins through export of essential drugs.
He said that certain drugs which were not produced indigenously and were smuggled from different countries, are also missing from the markets.
He said that the provincial government, as per strict instructions of Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif, would take strict action against the local and multinational manufacturing companies responsible for removal of lifesaving drugs from the markets. "The Chief Minister desires that all these 70 to 80 lifesaving drugs must be manufactured locally to meet the requirements of the patients," he informed.
Sajidthenews@gmail.com
These essential lifesaving drugs are missing from all the wholesale markets, medical stores and pharmacy chain outlets in various parts of the provincial metropolis.
President Pakistan Chemists Retailers Association, Ishaq Mayo said that there are several reasons behind the shortage of these vital medicines.
"A number of dealers who are manufacturing unregistered medicines, have gone underground because of the recent campaign of Punjab Government against the manufacturers of unregistered medicines. With the disappearance of these dealers medicines have become short," Mayo said.
"Besides, a large number of manufacturers are not providing medicines to the markets as required, the reason why shortage has become a regular feature. Such manufacturers should be prosecuted under the law of Provincial Drug Rules for not meeting the medicines' needs in the markets. On the other hand, there is need to check medicines export in such conditions.
"Patients may be dying without medicines so government needs to take immediate initiatives to overcome this problem," the president Pakistan Chemists Retailers Association said.
The list of 37 lifesaving drugs, which are manufactured in Pakistan, but are not available in the country, is as follows: GSK-manufactured eight drugs including Ventolin inhaler, Ventolin solution, Ventide inhaler, Thyroxin tab, Migril tab, Zyloric tab (300 mg), Betnovate cream –Up-John-manufactured five drugs including Solucartif 500 mg, Solu Medrol 500 mg, Solu Medrol 1 gm and Trobicin injection – Squibb-manufactured three drugs including Canacart A injection, Canacart A tincture and Canacart tab – Reckitt & Colmann-manufactured one drug Neo Mercazol tab – Lund Beck-manufactured one drug Denaxit 0.5 gm tab – and Elena Pharma's manufactured medicines including Cerebrolysine injection, Augmentin Tab 375 mg, Flamazin cream, Ritalin tab, Vitalux tab, Longifene tab, Litrison tab, Stemicin tab, Evion tab, Buscopan plus tab, Lantanon tab, Pyodine solution, Hepamerz syp, Hepamerz sachet, Mondecat injection, Kenadiol tab, Betalok Zoke tab, Filmacid Forte syp, Nisoderm lotion, Xaltide inhaler, Aquamin Forte tab and Cyclogest tab.
Besides, the 24 lifesaving drugs, which are smuggled hence remain unregistered, not available in markets across Pakistan are as follow: Anti-Snake injection (snake bite), Anabol tab, Questran powder 4 gm, Florin F tab, Isordil tab for heart attack, Crestor tab 10 mg for heart attack, Prograf 0.5 mg cap, Prograf 1 gm cap, Marevan tab for heart, Premarin tab for women Harmone disturbance, Winstrol injection, ACTH injection for paralysis, Cerebrolysin injection for paralysis, Vasolastin injection for paralysis, Cytotec tab for female delivery disturbance, Deltacortril Enteric tab, Hydrocortisone tab for Harmon regularization, Atrovent 500 mcg,/2ml solution for Asthma, Trental 400 mg tab for hemoreolojik ajan, Daabol DS tab (Methandrostenolone 10 mg), LevoThyroxin tab, Agiolax, Plaquanil tab and Infacol drops for children colic drops.
Shahrukh Iqbal, an asthma patient, said unavailability of Ventolin spoke volumes of the apathy of the agencies responsible and the callousness of the "profit-hungry" drug manufacturers.
Dr Saeed Elahi, Chairman Chief Minister's Task Force on Spurious Drugs, told TNS that the reasons behind the 61 lifesaving missing drugs are identified as lesser profit margin prompting the pharmaceutical manufacturing companies to either stop producing essential drugs or manufacture in limited quantity to earn bigger profit margins through export of essential drugs.
He said that certain drugs which were not produced indigenously and were smuggled from different countries, are also missing from the markets.
He said that the provincial government, as per strict instructions of Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif, would take strict action against the local and multinational manufacturing companies responsible for removal of lifesaving drugs from the markets. "The Chief Minister desires that all these 70 to 80 lifesaving drugs must be manufactured locally to meet the requirements of the patients," he informed.
Sajidthenews@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment