After seeing a severe shortage of Panadol in Pakistan, the brand has announced they have halted the production of the drug for the time being. Panadol or Paracetamol is an over-the-counter drug to treat fever and mild to moderate pain.
Considering the current influx of dengue and COVID-19 cases in Pakistan, the drug is heavily being used in the country. The drug has high demand in the country and it looks like the demand will increase even further.
GlaxoSmithKline, the brand that manufactures the medicine, is concerned about their loss margin as they manufacture more medicine than they prepared.
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Panadol Production Stopped
While there has been a high demand for the drug, that is not the only factor for the decrease in the availability of the product. The brand had first slowed down the production of the medicine. Just last month, a summary was presented by the Ministry of National Health Services to increase the price of a total of 35 medicines to the Federal cabinet. One of those medicines was Panadol.
The Federal cabinet rejected the summary, despite the fact that the summary wanted only to increase Rs. 1 per tablet for the time being. The Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Association of Pakistan forewarned the cabinet this could happen and they still went on to reject the summary.
Why Panadol is Important?
At the moment, Panadol is being used for more than just to treat patients with dengue and COVID-19. Considering the flooded areas in the country, Panadol is being sent to those areas as there has been an influx of waterborne diseases in those areas.
From dengue to malaria, these flood-affected areas are seeing an increase in the number of diseases that are being treated with the use of Panadol. Even dengue is being treated as an emergency in those areas. While the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Association of Pakistan that the company can sell the medicine for less than its production cost, GlaxoSmithKline says otherwise.
Currently, GlaxoSmithKline is producing more than 450 million tablets a month and they have halted the production at the moment. The drug regulatory department has notified the public that Panadol being sold at pharmacies at the moment is fake.
Production resumes after 25pc rise in paracetamol rates
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Finance on Wednesday gave a go-head to pharmaceutical companies to increase the prices of painkiller, paracetamol, by over 25 per cent, after which one of the multinational companies announced resumption of Panadol.
The approval was given at a meeting, which was chaired by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and attended by heads of pharmaceutical companies involved in the production of paracetamol products.
Because of the decision price of plain paracetamol has been increased by 25.67pc, paracetamol extra has been increased by 25.57pc and price of syrup has been increased by 12.21pc.
After the meeting, a multinational company Glaxo Smith Kline (GSK) announced to resume production of painkiller Panadol.
While a number of multinational pharmaceutical companies have left Pakistan during last two decades due to un-viability of continuing business, GSK which has almost 80pc share of paracetamol had also warned that it was also considering packing as situation had gone beyond its control.
The letter of the company GSK, sent to Prime Minister Office and available, stated that a number of times it had been informed regarding the critical issue of extraordinary and rapid increase in paracetamol (raw material) prices in Pakistan, and the company had appealed to the federal government to accord approvals for the adjustments to the selling prices of the paracetamol-based medicines.
On Wednesday Mr Dar held a meeting with heads of pharmaceutical companies involved in the production of paracetamol products.
According to a statement, the meeting reviewed the maximum retail price and shortage of paracetamol products in the country and discussed modalities for smooth supply and availability of paracetamol products in the markets on affordable rate.
While the companies had demanded increase in the price of plain paracetamol from Rs1.87 to Rs2.67, the ministry allowed the rise up to Rs2.35. The price of each tablet of Paracetamol Extra was Rs2.19 and companies had demanded to increase it by Rs3.32 but the ministry agreed to increase it to Rs2.75 for each tablet.
The price of each bottle of Paracetamol liquid has been increased from Rs104.8 to Rs117.6.
“It is a positive decision and will provide a little relief to some pharmaceutical companies which have been dealing in paracetamol,” he said.
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