KARACHI: A growing shortage of essential medicines, including advanced cancer therapies, vaccines and other life-saving treatments, is causing serious concern among patients and healthcare professionals across Pakistan.
Doctors, traders and pharmaceutical industry sources say several critical medicines are currently unavailable or in short supply at the retail level, making it increasingly difficult for patients to access modern treatments. Industry representatives maintain that the shortage is primarily linked to policy issues rather than regional conflicts or supply disruptions.
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Sources said most imported medicines and pharmaceutical raw materials used in Pakistan come from China, which remains commercially active. They argued that the main hurdle is the delay in official price notifications required for new medicines before they can be legally supplied in the market.
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Industry officials said the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) has already submitted recommendations regarding pricing, but the federal government has yet to formally notify them. Without an approved price, companies are unable to import or distribute medicines in the country.
Healthcare professionals say several modern anti-cancer therapies widely used internationally are among those affected. These include nivolumab, pembrolizumab and nilotinib hydrochloride, which are considered standard treatments for various cancers, including leukaemia and other advanced malignancies.
Other medicines facing shortages include tacrolimus hydrochloride, used to prevent organ transplant rejection, and verapamil hydrochloride for cardiac therapy. Vaccines such as typhoid, poliomyelitis and pneumococcal vaccines are also reportedly in limited supply.
Dr Hira Ahmed, a senior oncologist, said the absence of such medicines deprives patients of modern therapies that can significantly improve survival and quality of life.
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Pharmaceutical industry representatives warn that prolonged delays in price fixation could push patients toward unregulated markets, increasing the risk of counterfeit or substandard medicines entering circulation and putting lives at risk.