E-DRUG: Withdrawal of antipsychotics in Pakistan

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E-DRUG: Withdrawal of antipsychotics in Pakistan
------------------------------------------------
[Copied from The Lancet 4 September 1999]:

Anger over dangerous withdrawal of antipsychotics from Pakistan
		
Thousands of patients with psychiatric disorders in Pakistan have been
experiencing a nightmare since a number of pharmaceutical companies stopped
supplying several essential antipsychotic antidepressants and
anticholinergic drugs to the country.

The current drug freeze instituted by multinational companies has further 
marginalised these patients in a country where psychiatric health services 
are shambolic and where such patients continue to be socially stigmatised.

No longer available in Pakistan

The shortage, which started almost 6 months ago, is the worst in the 
history of the country. On Aug 27, Pakistan's Psychiatric Society condemned
the shortage, with a spokesperson saying "it reminds one of the medieval 
ages".

"The shortage could result in the increase of incarcerated patients which 
will stretch the already meagre resources", said Saeed Farooq, a represe  
ntative of the society. He warned that the non-availability of these drugs 
could result in patients being a danger to themselves or others, which may 
increase the crime rate in the months to come.

The withdrawn drugs include: GlaxoWellcome's Kemadrin (procyclidine); 
Rhone-Poulenc Rorer's Largactil (chloropromazine); Merck Sharp and Dohme's 
Tryptanol (amitriptyline); and Novartis' Melleril (thioridazine). All the 
drugs are manufactured by multinational companies with almost no national 
competitors.

The companies are demanding price increases but the government is blocking 
such a move. Every time these companies try to raise prices and the 
government resists, the companies resort to cutting the drug supply, which 
is a violation of the 1976 Drug Act.

On Aug 27, a senior official at the Ministry of Health told The Lancet that
the government is actively tackling the problem by encouraging national 
pharmaceutical companies to start manufacturing these drugs so that the   
effect of multinational companies' monopoly might be minimised.
Meanwhile, the black-marketeers have taken advantage of the situation and 
are selling these drugs at inflated prices.

Khabir Ahmad

[submitted by KM]
 
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