THE last few years have been among the toughest for the people of Pakistan largely due to the failure of our successive administrators to learn from past mistakes. Today, things seem to be getting out of hands, with new crises emerging from longstanding issues, such as a lack of political will for reforms, reliance on foreign aid and zero accountability.

One aspect of the fast deteriorating situation can be seen in the increasing shortage of essential life-saving medicines at local pharmacies, especially those that are required by people on a daily basis. It is extremely frustrating to wait for more than five months for, say, Patizra, an intravitreal anti-VEGF injection. Usually, several consecutive doses of the injection are required for optimum treatment.

Any gap in the prescribed schedule, once initiated, can result in wiping off the progress obtained through preceding doses. Hence, its unavailability poses potential health risk, and results in a monetary loss for the patients. It is disappointing that the injection has been unavailable for more than five months in Lahore.

There used to be a less expensive alternative produced by a Swiss pharma- ceutical company, but it was banned last year after vision-loss was reported in a few diabetic patients who had been injected with the drug.

As is routine in such cases, an inquiry committee was formed, which has not filed any report in the last six months. The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) is also silent on the matter. The injection remains banned without any clarity about who was the culprit; the injection, the prescription or the execu- tion of that prescription. This is sheer misery for the people who cannot afford the costly options, especially when even those options are not available in the market.

Similar is the case of Extor tablet, which is prescribed for hypertension management on a daily basis.It has started disappearing from the local markets in recent weeks. It is extremely disturbing to experience the unavailability of such essential medicines.

It is the fundamental duty of a state to prioritise healthcare for the people, but the prevailing scenario paints a bleak picture of state regulatory bodies not paying due attention. The authorities should take notice, identify the loopholes in the supply chain, and ensure immediate availability of all life-saving medicines.

Rana Muhammad Ahsan
Lahore

Published in Dawn, May 6th, 2024