PHARMACEUTICAL companies are creating an artificial shortage of medicines. Companies are selling their medicines at high price to retailers who, in turn, sell to needy customers at high price.

Some time back I bought a cough syrup (sancos) for Rs150 though its actual price is Rs50 which the shopkeeper had erased from the bottle. When I asked him about the matter, he told me pharmaceutical companies are supplying medicines to whole sellers only at the highest possible price and do not supply directly to retailers, and that’s why retailers are forced to sell medicines to customers at high prices.

Relevant authorities should look into the problem and take take action against those pharmaceutical companies and retailers and give relief to needy customers.

Farooq Dawood

Karachi

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2017