KARACHI: The deaths of more than 150 cardiac patients in Lahore hospitals in recent weeks, caused by the administering of tainted medicines, has sent a scare not only in Pakistan but in countries where Pakistani medicines are exported. Pharmaceutical companies abroad are taking full advantage of this situation and our newspapers are now full of advertisements drawing the attention of local doctors and chemists about such and such medicines now available in Pakistan.
Under the law, any medicine manufactured in Pakistan cannot be imported. If the drug is a life-saving one and is in short supply, recommendations from well-known doctors are first sought on whether its import is to be allowed or not; after which a decision is made.
I served as export manager in a local pharmaceutical firm for five years and Pakistani medicines have a good reputation overseas. My company used to manufacture and export medicines to Sri Lanka and Yemen. I travelled to both these countries for the registration of Pakistani medicines there and to obtain feedback from doctors on our products. Sri Lankan doctors always appreciated the quality and price of Pakistani medicines and Yemen was no different.
One can only hope that with this tragedy, the export of Pakistani medicines will not be affected in any significant manner.
M Rafique Zakaria
Published in The Express Tribune, February 21st, 2012.
