E-drug: 118 essential medicines missing on the market: Survey
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118 Essential medicines missing on the market: survey
Daily Dawn, Thursday 18 September 2003.
As many as 118 brands of 33 essential medicines are not available
on the market. This was revealed during a survey conducted by
TheNetwork for Consumer Protection. The NGO said the results of an
early survey complied in March this year were more or less the same
which meant that these medicines were not available on the Market
for at least six months. The survey has revealed that the missing
medicines include the ones used for the treatment of chronic
life-threatening diseases like blood pressure, heart ailments,
diabetes, immune disorders, epilepsy parkinsonism, thyroid diseases,
asthma and vomiting, besides different antibiotics. It was also found
that almost all missing medicines were available in the black market,
TheNetwork said. The reason was said to be low prices of medicines
and consequently low rate of profit which hardly had any attraction for
pharmaceutical companies, many of them multinationals. They are
produced less than the market demand to earn more by unfair
means. Azhar Hussain, who conducted the survey, said alternative
medicines were not being trusted by consumers because of doubts
over their quality. He said alternative medicines in Sindh and
Balochistan, in particular, were finding their way into the market after
being smuggled from neighboring countries. Mr. Hussain said that the
government was obliged under the Drug Act 1976 ri ensure an
uninterrupted supply of all kinds of medicines. But, the government to
take remedial measures without positive results so far. The medicines
missing from the market include tablet Imuran, Lioresal, Adalat,
Serenace (5 and 10mg), Yomesan, Neomercazol, Lanoxin, Angised,
Aldomat, Deltacortril, Kemadrin and Maxolon, Ventolin nebuliser
solution and inhaler, Injections Penidure LA, injection-tablet Marzine,
Nilstat and Vagamycine creams and Syrup Dilantin. APP ADDS:
when a health ministry official was contacted regarding the drug
shortage, he contradicted the claim. The director-general, health
Maj-Gen Muhammad Aslam (retired) brushed aside any shortage of
life saving drugs and said that sufficient stock of the reported missing
drugs were available on the market. He said that besides these
drugs, exactly similar substitute of life saving drugs are also available
brands in the market. The ministry official said all the alternative
brands of reportedly missing drugs are available in the market which
negate the propaganda of missing drugs or any its shortage. The DG
health said that all alternative drugs are produced under strict quality
control procedures. He added that these drugs were produced by
reputed national companies. He said it was routine to hold meeting of
Federal drugs inspector, druggist and chemist representatives to
monitor the availability of all drugs including the life saving. He said
that it could be possible that one drug store did not have the stock of
some particular brand of life saving drug but it doesn't mean that the
drug is missing from the market. While the ministry claimed that
available substitute of Thyroxin tab are Thyrotab Lanoxin tab
substitute is Digoxin tab. Angised tab is Anginor tab. Isordil tab is
Isobid, Isoket.
Azhar Hussain
Project Coordinator - Pharmaceuticals
40-A Ramzan Plaza,
G-9 markaz,
Islamabad,
Pakistan
Email: azhar@thenetwork.org.pk
Site: www.thenetwork.org.pk
Tel # 2261085 Ext 243
Fax # 2262495
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