LAHORE, Dec 28: The health ministry’s committee to monitor the shortage of medicines in market has recommended the ministry to issue show-cause notices to five pharmaceutical companies for making short supply of their products in violation of the Drug Act 1976.

The decision was taken at a committee meeting chaired by Dr. Ahmad Mahmood Mumtaz, deputy director-general (evaluation and monitoring), Drugs Control Administration, Lahore, at the Punjab Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA) office on Saturday.

The committee decided to serve show-cause notices on Glaxo Smith Klin, Lahore; Park Davis, Karachi; Reckitt and Brankisier Pakistan, Karachi; Searle Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd, Karachi; and Searle distributor IBL Gulberg-II, Lahore; as their representatives also did not bother to attend the meeting convened to discuss the reason for making short supply of medicines and taking measures to control short supply.

According to the committee, the medicines in acute short supply and the names of their manufacturers in parenthesis were; Zyloric, Thyroxin, Linosin, Angisid, Cloxacillin, Migril, Marzine, Lanoxin, Imuran, Ventolin drops and aerosol, and injections Orbenin, Cyclizine and Procyclidine (Glaxo Smith Klin); Aldactone, Metodine, Serenase and injection Tramodol (Searle); Methyldopa, Aldomat, Yomesan and Deltacortal (Merck Sharp & Dome); Marax and Prednisolan drops (Pfizer); Delantin and Spriamide (Park Davis); Neo-Mercazole (Reckitt and Colman); Adalat (Byer); Penidure LA injection (Wyeth); Vistamin (Willson); Debritone (Xenon) and Griovin FP (Ali Gohar).

Majority of medicines short in supply are used to cure chronic diseases like, hypertension, asthma, epilepsy, psychiatric disorders, Parkinsonism, heart diseases, arthritis and thyroid disorders.

During the discussion on the short supply of products manufactured by various firms, the Merck Sharp and Dome (MSD) regional manager said that he would inform the health ministry the reasons for short supply of life-saving drugs Methyldopa 500mg tablets and injection within 12 hours. Methyldopa, in short supply for the last two months, is used to control blood pressure in pregnant women.

A representative of Usman and Brothers retailers also submitted a list of other products in short supply. He told the committee that doctors were prescribing expensive and unregistered drugs which were not available in the market. Some of these medicines were; Plevix (Sanofi), Beclofen (Norvatis) and Vagmycin injection (Bristol Mayer Squibb).

The committee was also told that the medicines in short supply were being black-marketed as chemists and retailers were charging exorbitant prices.

The committee decided to confirm the list to take necessary action. It also decided to convene another meeting after one month.

Federal Inspector of Drugs, Lahore-I, Dr Sheikh Akhtar Husain; Federal Inspector of Drugs, Lahore-II, Iram Rashid; assistant drugs controllers, Lahore, Muhammad Adnan Faisal Saim and Tehreem Sara; PPMA vice-chairman Mian Muhammad Nazir; PPMA North chairman Amjad Ali Jawa; Muller and Phipps senior area manager and Bristol Mayer Squibb area sales manager also attended the meeting.