KARACHI: Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Syed Mustafa Kamal on Thursday said that the government has decided to increase the export of pharmaceutical equipment and medicines from the current level of around $1 billion to $30bn in the coming years.

He said this while addressing a ceremony after the inauguration of a three-day ‘22nd Health Asia-2025 Exhibition & Conferences’ at the Expo Centre.

Mr Kamal said that the target of the government was to elevate Pakistan’s pharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical equipment and medicines exports to $30bn, adding that it was a very significant day in Pakistan’s economic history as a three-day exhibition was being held, in which delegates and companies from over 50 countries were participating.

The minister added that Pakistan’s health sector was “achieving new levels of innovation and overcoming new challenges.”

‘Non-evidence-based prescribing costs Pakistan up to Rs50bn a year’

Meanwhile, federal health officials have said that Pakistan is losing an estimated Rs35 to Rs50 billion every year due to non-evidence-based prescribing and unethical marketing of medicines, a practice that not only drains the country’s healthcare resources but also fuels antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and erodes global trust in local pharmaceutical products.

Speaking at the Health Asia Conference, Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) Chief Executive Officer Dr Obaidullah said more than half of all medicines sold globally are either inappropriately prescribed or promoted, while in Pakistan, the irrational use of drugs accounts for up to a quarter of the total health budget.

“Around 65 per cent of Pakistan’s healthcare spending is out of pocket, and yet a large part of it is wasted on irrational prescriptions. This is both an ethical and economic failure,” he said.

Addressing a session titled “Redefining Pharma Marketing: From Data Insights to Patient Impact”, Dr Obaidullah warned that unethical promotion and misuse of antibiotics have contributed to over 700,000 deaths annually linked to AMR in Pakistan.

He said that infections once easily treatable, such as typhoid, tuberculosis and urinary tract infections, are now becoming resistant to almost all available drugs.

“Overuse and unethical promotion shorten a drug’s commercial life and erode brand credibility. Once-dominant antibiotics like ampicillin, ciprofloxacin and cefixime now face declining markets due to resistance. AMR means loss of efficacy, revenue and export trust,” he said and stressed that ethical marketing should not be seen as a barrier to business but as a “trade enabler.”

“Ethical compliance is now a prerequisite for access to global regulated markets. Countries and companies that ignore this reality are losing competitiveness,” he said.

PharmEvo Chief Executive Officer Syed Jamshed Ahmed said ethical marketing is the way forward for the pharmaceutical sector. “Our marketing must focus on patients’ needs and their sufferings, not sales targets. Unethical practices not only burden patients but endanger their lives,” he said.

He said the latest market data show that even with ethical practices, both unit sales and product value can increase significantly. “When companies act responsibly, the result is brand loyalty and long-term growth. Ethics, transparency, and collaboration are the future of pharmaceutical marketing,” he added.

Health Asia organiser Prof Dr Zakiuddin Ahmed said he wants to bring all stakeholders together for practical discussions on patient care, innovation and industry collaboration. “Pharma is a key player in healthcare. We want to use this platform to encourage dialogue, promote solutions, and create ease for both patients and businesses,” he concluded.

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2025