A commonly used insulin product is in short supply across Pakistan, after its German manufacturer halted supplies for a year-long factory upgrade. The supply disruption has wreaked havoc for people with chronic illnesses that require imported medicines. Supplies of the rapid-acting insulin have fallen from 3,500 kits to just 1,000, and the health ministry concedes that the disruption – which is also affecting Asia, Australia and Europe – may worsen. The government has reassured that alternative insulin products made by other big-name foreign companies are available, but while this statement is true, the competing brands also cost at least 20% more, and could also face supply headaches, since there is a global shortage. Also important is that even switching medicine brands for a while could negatively affect patients.
It is also worth noting that last year, the Pakistan Medical Association warned that at least 80 essential medicines had become unavailable, including drugs for cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The main factors for the delay appear to be financial policy, supply disruptions and domestic policy paralysis. Around 40 newly registered life-saving medicines remain in regulatory limbo because the federal government has delayed approving their retail prices, while 105 hardship-category medicines have had their price cases frozen for over two and a half years, forcing manufacturers to halt production.
At the same time, the domestic pharmaceutical industry is having its own problems, as drug makers continue to push back on price controls. The government must get ahead of the curve by expediting price approvals for essential medicines, improving stock monitoring and communicating transparently with suppliers and the public. In the long term, Pakistan cannot remain wholly dependent on imported insulin analogues. Local production and diversified supply chains deserve serious investment. A medicine’s availability on official registers means little when a patient cannot find it – or afford it – at the neighbourhood pharmacy.
