Editorial
In recent years, Pakistan’s pharmaceutical market has witnessed a significant transformation, shifting from a multinational-dominated market to one where local pharmaceutical companies now control around 75% of the market share. Once dominated by multinational corporations (MNCs), which held nearly 95% of the market, the industry is now largely shaped by home-grown manufacturers. This dramatic change came after the implementation of the Drugs Act in 1976, which saw the entry of more than 40 foreign pharmaceutical firms. These MNCs played a vital role in technology transfer and the development of the local pharmaceutical sector.
However, over time, several factors such as price control policies, government support for local manufacturers, and shifting market dynamics led to the departure of many multinational pharmaceutical companies. Many exited the market, while others closed manufacturing plants, limiting their operations to marketing and selling imported products. Today, only 21 multinational pharma companies continue to manufacture and market human pharmaceutical products in Pakistan, with only four owning local manufacturing facilities.
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While the local pharmaceutical industry has grown, some manufacturers now face challenges around product quality and reliability. Recently, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) issued a recall for several substandard pharmaceutical products found to be contaminated with impurities. These products, if used, pose significant health risks, especially to vulnerable groups like children, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems.
The transition from MNCs to local companies has left a gap in product quality and regulatory control, with many local manufacturers unable to meet the high standards set by multinational counterparts. DRAP must go beyond issuing recalls and conduct a deeper investigation into the root causes of these quality issues, working with the industry to improve regulatory systems and safeguard public health. After all, medicine is directly linked to human lives.
