After water, now Pakistan will crave for medicines, pharma sector is preparing to avoid emergency situation

Kashmir Terror Attack: Pakistan's Health Ministry has not yet received an official directive clarifying the status of medicine imports, while the government has announced suspension of all trade with India.

Jammu Kashmir Terror Attack: After the Pahalgam terror attack, India's action seems to be posing a threat to Pakistan in many ways. In such a situation, it is being said that there may be a shortage of medicines in Pakistan.

According to a Geo News report, Pakistan currently relies on India for 30 percent to 40 percent of its raw materials for medicines, including active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and many advanced therapeutic products. The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has confirmed that although no formal notification has been given about the impact of the ban on the pharmaceutical sector, contingency plans are already in place. 

Looking for alternatives in China, Russia and European countries

A senior official of DRAP said that after the 2019 crisis, we had started preparing for such an emergency. Now we are considering alternative ways to meet our medicine needs. DRAP is now looking for alternative sources from China, Russia and several European countries.

The agency aims to ensure the continued availability of essential medical supplies, including anti-rabies vaccines, anti-snake venom, cancer therapies, monoclonal antibodies and other critical biological products. Even though DRAP assures that we have made preparations, pharma industry insiders and health experts warn that a major challenge could arise if immediate action is not taken to deal with the consequences of the trade suspension.

Medicines come to Pakistan through smuggling

The Health Ministry has not yet received any official instructions clarifying the status of drug imports, while the government has announced the suspension of all trade with India. The pharmaceutical sector fears that the disruption in the supply chain could lead to serious problems in Pakistan. The situation is also serious regarding the black market of medicines in Pakistan, where unregistered and unapproved medicines, many of which are of Indian origin, come to Pakistan through smuggling from Afghanistan, Iran, Dubai and even through the eastern border.

Appeal to exempt pharmaceutical sector from ban

A delegation of pharmaceutical industry leaders went to Islamabad on Thursday to appeal for exemption from the trade ban. Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA) President Tauqeer-ul-Haq said that we held meetings with DRAP and Commerce Ministry officials to discuss the suspension of trade relations. We urged them to exempt the pharmaceutical sector from the ban, as there are many life-saving products whose raw material comes exclusively from India.