ISLAMABAD: Sohail Qadir, 40, had been using injections for years to relieve himself of Hepatitis C. Since his Interferon injection treatment has become ineffective, his doctor has advised him to switch over to new wonder drug molecule Sofosbuvir - brand name Sovaldi.

It is an expensive drug. But the poor man finds himself in a quandary – and like him thousands of other Hepatitis C patients in the country - not so much because of the cost but because of the sole right that the importer of the drug enjoys.

In Pakistan, a month’s supply of Sovaldi costs Rs33,300 and the treatment lasts six months. Though the same costs $26,000 in the U.S., its American manufacturer sells it to Pakistan for just $333 as charity.

Sohail Qadir’s troubles began when he reached Vikor Enterpises in Satellite Town, the only chemist authorised to sell the medicine in Rawalpindi, with his prescription. He was told the drug is sold to only those who produce the prescription written by a certain renowned doctor of the city.

While the medicine brought good news to the 10 million Hepatitis patients in Pakistan, it is said its smuggling out of the country has created problems for the government and the importers. Ironically efforts to curb the smuggling have made access to the medicine difficult.

“I’m told that the private clinic of the designated doctor charges Rs 2,500 for writing the prescription,” said Sohail Qadir.

After the designated chemist flatly turned his request to accept the prescription of his doctor, he said he turned to the Holy Family Hospital. There his beseeching got him the prescription and the medicine.

“As I have to take the medicine for six months, I face the same struggle next month,” he said.

Indeed, a large number of Hepatitis C patients, especially those from small towns around Rawalpindi and Islamabad, face the same situation. Most of them prefer the Rs2,500 at the private clinic and get the medicine rather than struggle like Sohail Qadir.

While talking to Dawn, Vikor Enterprises’ employee Yasir Husain said: “We don’t want to put any hurdles in the way of patients but they are required to present prescription from a credible doctor, along with the photocopy of his CNIC. That is why the medicine is being sold by only one distributor,” he said.

“We cannot trust doctors sitting in every street and prescribing medicines. We will have a problem on our hands if the medicine produces (adverse) reaction,” he said.

Dr Waseem Khawaja, gastroenterologist of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), was witness to the sole distribution centre advising a patient to bring a prescription from a particular private clinic.

“It is strange that the centre accepts prescriptions written by only those doctors who are ‘registered’ with it. All PMDC registered doctors, especially those who have been treating only patients of Hepatitis, should be allowed to prescribe the medicine,” he said, adding that he tried to but could not contact the managing director of the centre.

“It is the job of the customs to stop smuggling. The medicine should be available at all chemist stores,” he said.

Secretary National Health Services Ayub Sheikh said that smuggling of the medicine would be a loss of foreign exchange to the country.

“I will talk to the company that there should be a simple registration process. If distribution centre wants to register doctors it should register many doctors in every city,” he said.

“I will write to the company and instruct them that a patient should be registered once and after that he should get medicine without prescription for next six months,” he added.

Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2015

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