Wilful shortage

Shortage of essential medicines is a round-the-year routine that goes unnoticed and unpunished in our country. Clinicians, who get frequent and early feedback from their patients, do not take the pain to notify the authorities concerned. The same is the case with the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA) and the Pharma Bureau (PB).
A few years ago an essential drug, carbimazole (neo-mercazole) prescribed for the treatment of thyrotoxicosis, a serious disease of the thyroid gland, was re-marketed after a gap of one year but costing more than its actual price. Another very essential drug, thyroxine, used by patients who are born with a deficient state of the thyroid hormone, was back in the market after a good 16 months but with a price nine times the original. Now prazosin (minipress) used by many high blood pressure patients and those with enlarged prostate symptoms is not available. I bet the drug will be re-marketed as usual with a high price and the authorities concerned will remain unconcerned.
Dr Mukhtar Ali
Kurram Agency