ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s pharmaceutical industry faces a severe breakdown as the ongoing regional war halts the arrival of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) and finished life-saving drugs. With the functional closure of the Strait of Hormuz and major shipping lines diverting vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, the cost of importing raw materials has jumped by over 40% in a single week.
Local manufacturers report that nearly 90% of Pakistan’s medicine production depends on imported raw materials. The Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Association (PPMA) confirmed that hundreds of containers carrying critical medical supplies remain stranded at transshipment hubs like Dubai and Salalah.
The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has called an emergency meeting to assess the national stock of essential medicines. Currently, hospitals in major cities like Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad report a dwindling supply of imported vaccines and cancer treatment drugs. Wholesale markets have already started seeing “black marketing” of inhalers and blood pressure medications as panic buying grips the public.
To mitigate the disaster, the Ministry of Health is considering an emergency air-bridge to airlift life-saving supplies directly from China and Europe. However, the sheer cost of air freight, coupled with the recent Rupee devaluation following the oil price surge, makes these medicines unaffordable for the average citizen. Health experts warn that if the blockade continues for another 15 days, the country could face a full-scale medical emergency, leaving thousands of patients without surgical supplies and chronic disease management.