ISLAMABAD: As Pakistan faced a serious shortage of lifesaving drugs on Wednesday due to the delay in issuance of a notification for 45 days, Pakistan Chemists and Druggists Association (PCDA) has expressed fear that the country might face another similar crisis next month if these delaying tactics continue.
Through a letter to the chief executive of Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) and Secretary Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination (NHSR&C), the association drew the attention of Health Ministry and DRAP towards the possible suspension of supplies of lifesaving products from June 19.
The association requested the authority and the ministry to act proactively to deal with the suspension of supplies of biological products from next month.
“The tenure of the current federal government analyst Zafar Mehmood Minhas ends on June 19. We would earnestly request you to please ensure that the position of the federal government analyst does not remain vacant for a day. [Otherwise], it would result in non-supply of life saving products. Unless the DRAP and the NHSR&C acts proactively, there will again be a suspension of supplies of biological products from the 19th of June,” stated the letter.
It is worth noting here that Zafar Mehmood was notified as the federal government analyst by the ministry of NHSR&C on April 27 for three months, effective from March 19 till June 19 after a delay of 45 days as the post fell vacant on March 13. The delay in notifying the federal government analyst had created a very chaotic situation.
“Importers of various lifesaving biological products, who had imported products, could not supply them to various government and private hospitals, simply because there was no lot release of these products, endorsed by the federal government analyst,” the letter read.
“Products such as various MABs (oncology), vaccines, recombinant biologicals, insulin, products for kidney transplants, products for dialysis and burns patients, cardiology products, plasma derived products, and many more critical care products became short in supply, simply because the DRAP & NHSR&C did not prioritise the approval of the notification of a federal government analyst for almost a month and a half,” stated PCDA Chairman Khalid Saeed.
The letter added that they do understand that Covid-19 is a priority matter, but there are numerous patients whose lives depend on such critical biological products and who cannot afford to wait due to departmental delays. “We look forward to your earliest possible action in this matter,” it added.
