Karachi:
The supply of drugs in public hospitals in the Sindh remains bogged down in controversy due to repeated violations of established regulations, many health establishments presenting on almost expirant drugs in order to reduce expenses.
Despite clear rules against the purchase of almost expiring drugs, hospitals continue to buy drugs with shorter lives because they are much cheaper compared to those with longer expiration durations. These low -cost purchases are a recurring problem in the province, which raises questions about transparency and safety of patients.
In accordance with the Pakistan Medicines Regulatory Policies (RID), the minimum storage time for the drugs provided by the hospital should be from at least six months to a year, drugs with an expiration date within 2 to 3 months should not be purchased. Despite these guidelines, no robust mechanism is set up to ensure compliance in Sindh hospitals.
Each year, various reports highlighting the irregularities of a billions of rupees in the surface medicine supply in public hospitals of the Sindh. Although regulations concerning expiration dates exist for the purchase of drugs, many hospitals still acquire almost expiring drugs. Experts have revealed that there is a clear cost difference between short -term and long -term drugs, which often animates this practice contrary to ethics.
According to pharmaceutical experts, drugs close to their expiration dates are generally sold at radically reduced rates. These purchases are made in a highly organized and technically complex way, which makes them difficult to trace or prove. The Central Purchasing Committee, responsible for 75% of drug purchases in the Sindh, oversees the process according to the hospital’s demand and also determines prices. The remaining 25% of purchases are processed locally by hospitals or district health offices under their local purchasing authority.
Dr. Ubaid Ali, head of the Sindh operations at the Drug Regulatory Authority, confirmed that significant price differences existed between short and long -term drugs. “Although drugs are safe to use before expiration, their power decreases over time. This is why short-term drugs are cheaper and often preferred in bulk supply, despite the risks. Although unpired drugs are legally usable, coherent patients of almost expiration medication compromise quality care, noted in particular in public health care where patients are already confronted with performance resources “, noted public health care.
The supply of drugs is carried out through tenders, mainly under the authority of the central purchasing committee, an organization of 26 members who also approves or rejects the offers. The tenders are issued under the generic name of the formulation (chemical composition), and tenders on drugs are allocated to companies offering the lowest rates.
In recent times, however, a disturbing trend has appeared: drugs are often bought from companies less known under generic formulations, rather than established brands. Once a formulation is purchased at a fixed price, other hospitals are invited to buy the same drug at the same rate, regardless of the brand’s reputation or therapeutic efficiency. Meanwhile, the public continues to buy drugs on the free market under commercial names, leading to disconnection between institutional and retail standards.
Recently, the Committee of Public Accounts of the Sindh Assembly (PAC), chaired by Nisar Khuhro, convened a meeting to examine medical supply practices in government hospitals. The committee has raised serious questions about the purchasing mechanism. In response, the Secretary of Health Rehan Iqbal Baloch informed PAC that calls for tenders had been issued through the Central Purchasing Committee, and drugs were bought according to merit and transparency. It should be noted that the 1976 drug law and the 2012 sheet law lists strict sanctions for the sale of expired drugs, including up to five years in prison, heavy fines, cancellation of drug licenses and legal action. However, in the absence of a national pharmacopoeia, the application of the regulations remains low. Currently, Pakistan has 900 registered formulations, including 400 classified as essential (rescue) and 500 as non -essential.
Consequently, current practices and repeated complaints suggest that urgent reforms are required in purchase monitoring to ensure patient safety and regulatory compliance.
