Pakistan: Fuel price shock turns life-saving drugs into luxury

Peshawar [Pakistan], April 22 : A steep rise in petroleum prices is sending shockwaves across Pakistan's economy, significantly inflating the cost of essential goods, including critical medicines, and intensifying financial pressure on vulnerable households. The cascading effect of fuel inflation has made healthcare increasingly unaffordable for many citizens, as reported by The Express Tribune.

According to The Express Tribune, the burden is especially harsh for patients with chronic conditions. Prices of essential medicines, particularly insulin, have surged dramatically, placing them out of reach for large segments of the population. Several private pharmaceutical firms have raised drug prices without prior notice, worsening the strain on middle- and low-income groups already struggling with inflation.

Insulin prices have nearly doubled, jumping from PKR 2,200 to PKR 4,720. Other medicines have also seen notable hikes: treatments for acidity have increased from PKR 530 to PKR 620, vitamins from PKR 480 to PKR 510, and typhoid medications from PKR 805 to PKR 930.

Cancer drugs and pregnancy-related medicines have reportedly risen by around PKR 400, further aggravating the crisis.

Zafar Ali, a Peshawar resident living with diabetes, described the situation as unsustainable. Earning PKR 40,000 a month, he said he can no longer afford insulin, which now costs nearly PKR 4,000.

He also accused some pharmacies of deliberately creating shortages to exploit rising prices. Arshad Mohmand of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Medical Drug Association noted that prices of life-saving drugs have surged by PKR 1,000 to PKR 4,000, as cited by The Express Tribune.

He pointed out that many pharmacies fail to display official price lists, while some operate without valid licenses, reflecting weak regulatory enforcement. He urged authorities to empower the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, increase inspections, and penalise violators.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's Chief Drug Controller Abbas Khan clarified that drug pricing is determined at the federal level under existing laws, while provinces are tasked with enforcement, as reported by The Express Tribune.

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