LAHORE: The Pakistan Chemists and Druggists Association (PCDA) has urged Prime Minister Imran Khan to take notice of suspension of supply of life-saving biological products and negligence of the Drug Regulatory Authority Pakistan (Drap).

In a letter addressed to the PM through his special adviser on health Dr Faisal Sultan, PCDA Chairman Khalid Saeed complained that the country was facing acute shortage of the life-saving biological products since March.

“The main reason behind the crisis is the federal government’s failure in the appointment of the signing authority at the National Control Laboratory to give approval to hundreds of pending lot release applications,” the PCDA chairman said in the letter.

He said the patients in the country had no recourse to address critical ailments at this time.

“We have been sending reminders to the chief executive officer of Drap and the health minister’s office since the beginning of June 2020 but nothing has happened so far,” Mr Saeed lamented.

An industry official said the companies would need three days to market the backlog of products in case the government gave release orders immediately.

He criticised Drap for its willful delay in resolving the issue, saying that the country might face a mega crisis in form of critical shortage of the medicines due to the bureaucratic hurdles.

The PCDA chairman has requested the adviser to the PM on health to play his role by passing directions to Drap and other authorities concerned to get the notification of appointment of the NCL besides issued and address some related issues.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2020