Overview
- Industry officials say the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan has sent pricing recommendations but the federal government has not issued formal notifications, blocking legal imports.
- Pharmacies and medical facilities across the country report scarce supplies of advanced oncology medicines such as nivolumab, pembrolizumab and nilotinib.
- Shortages also include tacrolimus for transplant care, verapamil for cardiac therapy, and vaccines for typhoid, polio and pneumococcal disease, with reports of gaps in rabies, haemophilia and malaria treatments.
- Healthcare and industry sources attribute the crunch to domestic regulatory delays, noting most imports and raw materials come from commercially active suppliers in China.
- Pharmaceutical representatives warn prolonged bottlenecks could push patients toward unregulated sources, while one analysis links added pressure to suspended international flights and low raw‑material reserves.