Due to a 17 percent tax on raw material per piece, 40 life savings medicines are short in the market. PPMA is seeking help from Federal Government. Consumption of all raw materials caused this drastic drugs shortage in the country.
Pakistan Pharmaceuticals Manufacturing Association (PPMA) Chairman Qazi Mansoor Dilawar warns the Government about the upcoming drastic drugs shortage. Recently government imposed a 17 percent tax on raw materials in the recent budget. Moreover, The worst thing is the tax is implemented per piece, not on the entire quota. That makes the whole situation more complex and alarming. As a consequence, the country is about to witness its worst drug shortage.
Since the industry already used all the stored raw material. With the new tax, prices are skyrocketing and 40 life-saving drugs are short in the market. The drugs include Alp tablet used for depression, Dexamethasone for asthma, cancer, and joint pain, Epitab for epilepsy, Nervin for depression, Epival, Fexet D, Nitronal, Ventoline tablets and injections. Moreover, Epival In, Myrin P, Ketasol Inj, Loprin, Silliver tab, Phenergen Elixir, Tixylix Lincitilus, Chlooriptics Drops, Systane drops, Rivotril drops, Dormicum tablets, Winstor, Tritace, Sodamint, Schazobutil, Jardymet and Brufen are also in short supply. Lomotil, Panadol, Tan Primolut B, Progynova, Stilnix, Glucobay, Zentel, Avor, Gravibinan, Syp Gaviscom, Lipofundin and Inj Sorbid are also missing from the market.
An emergency meeting held in Islamabad lately. Where pharmaceuticals of Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, and all major cities attended to solve this alarming situation. They demand an immediate subsidy on the medical industry or people will leave dying. They also demand a 20 to 25 percent increase in the prices of all drugs.
Members also added that in the previous government prices of 400 medicines were decreased for the sake of public interest. Whereas this government wants the poor and privileged class left in agony. Let’s see if this meeting with the federal government will be helpful or not.