Islamabad: Pakistan’s drug regulator has advised pharmaceutical manufacturers and importers to diversify sources of raw materials and maintain adequate inventories to guard against potential supply chain disruptions, but industry representatives say the country faces no imminent threat of a medicine shortage.
In an advisory issued on Monday, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) asked manufacturers and importers of therapeutic goods to adopt multiple sourcing strategies for active pharmaceutical ingredients, excipients and other key inputs, warning that the evolving geopolitical situation could disrupt global supply chains.
The advisory said DRAP was proactively monitoring the availability of essential medicines and medical technologies to ensure uninterrupted access to safe and effective treatments across the country.
To minimise the risk of shortages, the regulator directed companies to reduce reliance on single source suppliers and establish geographically diverse sourcing channels. Manufacturers were also advised to maintain sufficient buffer stocks of both raw materials and finished pharmaceutical products to mitigate delays caused by disruptions in international shipping or logistics.
DRAP further asked companies to regularly assess the reliability of their suppliers, develop contingency sourcing plans and strengthen systems to track pharmaceutical supplies and anticipate demand, measures aimed at preventing hoarding, black marketing or artificial shortages.
Manufacturers and importers were also instructed to comply with any directives issued by federal or provincial governments to ensure preferential supply of medicines to public sector institutions and emergency services if required.
However, pharmaceutical industry leaders said the advisory should be seen as a precautionary step rather than a sign of any immediate shortage.
Former chairman of the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA) Tauqeer ul Haq welcomed DRAP’s guidance but said the local industry currently holds sufficient stocks of raw materials and finished pharmaceutical products to meet national demand for the next several months.
“Nearly 90 percent of medicines consumed in Pakistan are produced locally, and the raw materials used in pharmaceutical manufacturing are mainly sourced from China and India. At present there is no immediate threat of medicine shortages,” he said.
He noted that only a small number of specialised medicines imported directly from abroad could face temporary supply delays if international cargo routes or flights were disrupted. These may include certain cancer therapies and some biological medicines that are not manufactured locally.
Tauqeer ul Haq added that widespread shortages would only become a concern if there were prolonged disruptions in fuel supplies or domestic transportation networks that could affect the distribution of medicines within the country, a scenario he described as unlikely at present.
Dr Akram Sultan, Advisor Health at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s COMSTECH and a consultant cardiologist at Tabba Heart Institute Karachi, said the advisory was a timely precaution and stressed the need for close coordination between regulators and the pharmaceutical industry.
He said proactive planning and contingency measures were essential to ensure uninterrupted access to medicines and medical devices for patients across Pakistan.
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