The availability of substandard cancer drugs in the market is a critical issue that deserves the immediate attention of the government and all its relevant agencies. This issue has been known publicly for some times, but, unfortunately, no tangible steps seem to have been taken to bring this sordid matter to an end.
An article published recently — “When the cancer drugs don’t work” (June 26) — which shed further light on the various aspects of the matter. Research by The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) revealed that essential chemo-therapy drugs used to treat breast cancer, leukaemia and other severe illnesses were being sold with inaccurate quantities of their key ingredients. These substandard cancer drugs are being shipped to more than one hundred countries, including Pakistan.
Being a cancer patient, I am deeply concerned. Patients like me rely on these medications during some of the most challenging times of our lives, with the hope that they are both effective and safe. Learning that certain cancer drugs may contain inconsistent dosages of their active ingredients — either too little or too much — is deeply alarming.
In Pakistan, there is no reliable way to verify if the prescribed medicines meet quality standards. We place our trust in the healthcare system to protect us, but that trust faces setbacks in an already fragile environment when quality control mechanisms fail. How can doctors manage critical conditions if the drug dosage is inconsistent? If the quality of medicines is compromised, what hope is there for recovery? It is concerning that the low-cost generic alternatives to the expensive originals cannot always be relied upon.
How can a pharmaceutical company manufacture and distribute a drug that is still under patent protection? The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) and the Pakistan Intellectual Property Organisation (PIPO) should investigate these issues thoroughly.
Patients deserve reassurance that the medicines they consume meet regulatory standards. Drap must diligently strengthen its quality control mechanism, and test all generic drugs with due vigilance.
It is, after all, a critical matter of life and death for the suffering patients. Cancer patients can only hope that the health system does prioritise their safety.
ABU BAKAR KAREEM
KARACHI
