Karachi:
The acquisition of medicines in public hospitals in Sindh is still plunged in controversy due to repeated violations of the established regulations, with many health facilities supplying in drugs close to Spiry in an attempt to reduce expenses.
Despite the clear rules against the purchase of almost expiry medications, hospitals continue to buy medications with a shorter shelf life, since they are significantly cheaper compared to those with longer maturity durations. These low -cost purchases are a recurring problem in the province, asking questions about transparency and patient safety.
According to the policies of the Pakistan Drug Regulatory Authority (DRAP), the minimum useful life for medications provided by the hospital must be at least six months to one year, therefore, medications with an expiration date within 2-3 months should not be obtained. Despite these guidelines, there is no robust mechanism to guarantee the fulfillment of hospitals throughout Sindh.
Each year, several reports that highlight irregularities that are worth billions of rupees on the surface of acquisition of medicine in public hospitals in Sindh. Although there are regulations on expiration dates for the purchase of medicines, many hospitals still acquire medications close to the spirit. Experts have revealed that there is a clear cost difference between short and long spirit extraction medications, which often drives this unusual practice.
According to pharmaceutical experts, medications that meet their expiration dates are generally sold at drastically reduced rates. These purchases are carried out in a highly organized and technically complex way, which makes them difficult to track or try. The Central Procurement Committee, responsible for 75 percent of drug purchases in Sindh, supervises the hospital demand -based process and also determines prices. The remaining 25 percent of the acquisition is managed locally by hospitals or health offices of the district under its local purchase authority.
Dr. Ubaid Ali, Chief of Operations of Sindh in the drug regulatory authority, confirmed that there were significant price differences between short and long extralumn medications. “While medications are safe to use before the expiration, their power decreases over time. That is why short -term extraction medications are already cheaper already preferred in bulk acquisition, despite the risks. Although unleashed medications are legally usable, the consistent acquisition of almost expired medications compromises quality care, especially in public health where patients are already Resources, do not face resources resources, no resources are produced.
The acquisition of medications is carried out through tenders, mainly under the authority of the Central Procurement Committee, an agency of 26 members that also approves or rejects the offers. The tenders are issued under the generic name of the formulation (chemical composition), and the tenders of medications are granted to the companies that offer the lowest rates.
However, in recent times, a worrying trend has emerged: medications are often obtained from less known companies under generic formulations, instead of established brands. Once a formulation is purchased at an established price, other hospitals are aimed at buying the same medication at the same rate, regardless of the brand reputation or therapeutic effectiveness. Meanwhile, the public continues to buy drugs in the open market under commercial names, which leads to a disconnection between institutional and retail standards.
Recently, the Public Accounts Committee of the Sindh (PAC) Assembly, chaired by Nisar Khuhro, convened a meeting to review the practices of acquiring medicines in government hospitals. The committee raised serious questions about the purchase mechanism. In response, the Secretary of Health, IQBAL Baloch, informed PAC that tenders were issued through the Central Procurement Committee, and medications were acquired depending on merit and transparency. It is worth noting that the Drug Law of 1976 and the 2012 DRAP Law list the strict sanctions for selling defeated medicines, including up to five years in prison, strong fines, cancellation of drug licenses and legal actions. However, in the absence of a national pharmacopoeia, the regulatory application remains weak. Currently, Pakistan has 900 registered formulations, including 400 classified as essential (lifeguards) and 500 as non -essential.
Therefore, continuous practices and repeated complaints suggest that urgent reforms are needed in the supervision of acquisitions to guarantee patient safety and regulatory compliance.
