
Drug Shortages in Pakistan


Drug shortages may be defined as, “The situation in which the total supply of medicines, health products and vaccines, essential in the health care system are inadequate to meet the patient demand”. In other words when the demand exceeds the supply, it results in the chronic shortage of medicines. Drug shortages is a global issue. WHO(World Health Organization), FDA(Food And Drug Administration) and ASHP(American Society of health System Pharmacists),also state, drug shortages as a worry some issue. They collect data and reports regularly ,for drug shortages from high income, middle income and low income countries .Also they work to remove the factors involved in drug shortages and to ensure a smooth supply chain, in order to make drugs available for all who need. Pakistan, a low middle income country ,follows a typical Pharmaceutical supply system. Medicines manufactured in the Pharmaceutical industries are supplied to whole salers and distributors, then supplied to various Pharmacies and medical stores, to be purchased by patients, on Doctors prescription. Despite of the presence of DRAP(Drug regulating Authority Of Pakistan),whose prime purpose is procuring raw material and medicines registration of medicines, price control and regulating various medicine issues and supply chain of medicines, toPakistan constantly faces the issue of crucial and essential drug shortages. To overcome these barriers and shortage issues, Criticare Pharmaceuticals, are the premier partners in the health care system of Pakistan.




