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07-10-2016, 02:59 AM
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Pharmaceutical firms stop making low-priced *****
LAHORE: At least 15 Pharmaceutical companies have stopped producing eco**mically viable ***** for the tuberculosis patients as the price dispute with the regulatory authority remains unresolved.
There used to be 17 companies making TB ***** in Pakistan. And, **w only two are left. They also informed the government a year back that they would also wind up its drug making operation. The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has put TB ***** under the category of orphan *****, which simply means enhancing the prices of these ***** to make them commercially viable for the two surviving manufacturers. One of the manufacturers still producing TB ***** is a domestic Pharmaceutical company and the other is a multinational. The DRAP never bothered to find out as to why 15 TB drug manufacturers have stopped producing the *****. The two surviving producers are **t manufacturing the full range of TB *****. Availability of medicines at affordable rates is the duty of a drug regulatory authority. Regulating drug prices is essential and in vogue around the globe. There is a thin line between regulating prices and strangulating the companies to the point that compels them to stop production instead of suffering losses on marketing them. If the health issues arise because of unviable ***** price, Pakistan may become the most unproductive nation in the world. Currently, the country has the dubious distinction of being the least productive country in the region mainly because of health issues of its workforce. A World Health Organization’s report said six countries that stand out as having the largest number of incident of tuberculosis (TB) cases in recent years include India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, People’s Republic of China and South Africa. Still China is among the 22 countries with a sustained decline in TB cases over the past 20 years. The rigidity in fixation of drug (for TB or thyroid malfunctioning) prices should be relaxed as these ***** are **t available freely in the market because of price issues. The patients instead buy smuggled or imported ***** at much higher rates than what the local manufacturers request the authority in their application for revisiting the prices of ***** they produce. The regulatory authority should ask a reputable third party to find out the availability of ***** that have been discontinued by many companies and their availability after discontinuation. It should then allow an increase in line with the growing cost of production. There is a perception that some multinationals unduly pressurise the regulatory authority by discontinuing some *****. However, in most of the cases of discontinued ***** most of the Pakistan companies have also done the same. Logically the vacuum created by the discontinuation of ***** by multinationals should be plugged by the domestic companies to increase their market share. But, the fact that they also find it commercially unviable to produce these ***** gives credence to the fact that production of those ***** is **t commercially viable. The bacteria that causes TB gains quick resistance against *****. Therefore, TB patients around the world are dispensed a combination of ***** to ensure that the TB bacteria is eliminated by one of the ***** even if it developed resistance against a**ther drug. The TB patients are at high risk of developing drug resistance as a short range of ***** are locally available. The government has put TB ***** in orphan category, which is an admission that the availability of TB ***** is uncertain. However, seriousness of the DRAP in this regard can be judged by the fact that in its last meeting the authority rejected all the requests for an increase in prices of TB ***** on technical ground. Later, it allowed only eight percent increases in all TB *****, while the applicants demand 30 to 35 percent increase. With this meager increase, there is likelihood that this orphan drug will make thousands of children orphan. The state has arranged free supply of TB ***** to all the TB patients probably from the donation of imported ***** it received from do**r agencies. The distribution of ***** through state machinery always remains suspect. There is ** awareness among the patients on availability of this facility. The patients still run from pillar to post to buy these ***** from open market. أكثر... ??????? ??????: Pharmaceutical firms stop making low-priced ***** || ??????: ahlam1399 || ??????: اسم منتداك
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