ISLAMABAD: Drug manufacturers have increased the prices of various medicines including life-saving drugs, revealed a survey carried out by Business Recorder Monday.
The survey also noted a serious shortage of the medicines being used for the treatment of heart diseases.
Traders said that the drug manufacturers are creating artificial shortage of certain products to increase the prices and it has been made a routine in the past few years.
According to the survey the drugs that have become costlier include those used to treat fever, headache, heart diseases, malaria, diabetes, sore throat, flu, abdominal and stomach pains, skin diseases, postpartum issues, and eye, ear, tooth, mouth, and blood infections, as well as certain antibiotics.
The survey observed that the price of blood pressure control tab Adalat la 30 has jumped from Rs973 per pack to Rs1,042 per pack, tab osnate d which is used for treatment and prevention of low calcium levels and resulting bone conditions including osteoporosis has gone up from Rs324 per pack to Rs262 per pack. The price of ciproxin 500mg tablet being used for treating bacterial infections has gone up from Rs457 per pack to Rs507 per pack, the price of tab getryl 2mg which is being used for controlling sugar has jumped from Rs204 to Rs240 per pack.
The price of antibiotic tab levofloxacin 500 mg has jumped from Rs310 per pack to Rs370 per pack, tab Surbex z which is a multivitamin product used to treat or prevent vitamin deficiency due to poor diet, certain illnesses, or during pregnancy has jumped up from Rs247 per bottle to Rs267 per bottle.
The prices of Dicloran Tablet which is used to treat aches and pains, along with problems of musculoskeletal and joint pain has jumped from Rs148 per pack to Rs170 per pack, the price of tobradex eye drops being used to treat or prevent eye infections has increased from Rs427 per bottle to Rs564 per bottle. The price of amoxil capsule has jumped from Rs90 per pack to Rs124 pack, capsule CAC plus 1000 price has jumped from Rs148 to Rs197 per bottle and the price of syrup hepamerz is used for protecting the liver from harmful chemicals or free radicals has gone up from Rs170 to Rs230 per syrup.
According to a representative of the all Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufactu-rers Association (PPMA), the cost of production has increased including labour, electricity and raw material rates while persistent devaluation of rupee against the US dollar has further aggravated the situation, he said, adding that a container of raw material that used to cost $1,000 was now available for booking at $8,000-12,000.
“These factors will continue to affect the pharmaceutical sector and prices will increase accordingly in future too. If rates are not hiked, essential medicines will disappear from the market,” he said.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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