Karachi:
Purchasing of medicine in Sindh’s public hospitals remains attached in controversy due to repeated violations of established rules, with many health facilities flowing up on almost expiring medicine in an attempt to limit spending.
Despite clear rules against the purchase of makers almost expiration, hospitals continue to buy medicine with shorter shelf life as they are significantly cheaper compared to those with longer expiry durations. These cheap purchases are a recurring problem in the province that raises questions about transparency and patient safety.
According to Pakistans (Pakistan’s policy for Pakistan (drap), the slightest shelf life for hospital-supplied drugs should be at least six months to one year, therefore medication with an expiry date within 2-3 months should not be acquired. Despite these guidelines, there is no robust mechanism in place to ensure compliance with hospitals across Sindh.
Each year, various reports highlight that highlight irregularities worth rupiers in medical shopping surface over Sindh’s public hospitals. Although there are rules on expiry dates for the purchase of medicine, many hospitals still acquire almost exposure medicine. Experts have revealed that there is a clear cost difference between map expiration and long -speed medicine, which often runs this unethical practice.
According to pharmaceutical experts, medicines approaching their expiry dates are sold to drastically reduced rates. These purchases are made in a very organized and technically complex way, making them difficult to trace or prove. The central purchasing committee responsible for 75 percent of the purchase of medicine in Sindh supervises the process based on demand in the hospital and also determines pricing. The remaining 25 percent of purchases are handled locally by hospitals or district health offices under their local purchasing authority.
Dr. Ubaid Ali, head of SINDH operations at the drug regulation authority, confirmed that significant price differences existed between short and long-haired drugs. “While medicine is safe to use, before the expiration, their strength is reduced over time. This is the reason why card germination medicine is cheaper and often preferred in bulk shopping, despite the risks. Although non-expenses where patients are already applicable, consistent purchases of almost expiration.
Purchasing of medicine is carried out through bids, primarily under the authority of the Central Procurement Committee, a body of 26 members who also approve or reject bids. Bids are issued under the generic name of the wording (chemical composition) and medicine bids are awarded to the companies that offer the lowest rates.
Recently, however, a troubled trend has emerged: Medicine has often been acquired from lesser known companies under generic formulations rather than established brands. When a formulation is purchased at a fixed price, other hospitals are instructed to buy the same drug at the same speed, regardless of the brand’s reputation or therapeutic efficiency. Meanwhile, the public continues to buy drugs in the open market under trade names, leading to an interruption between institutional and retail standards.
Recently, Sindh Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), chairman of Nisar Khuhro, convened a meeting to review medical procurement practices in government hospitals. The committee raised serious questions about the purchase mechanism. In response, health secretary Rehan Iqbal Baloch PAC informed that bids were issued through the Central Procurement Committee, and medicine was acquired based on profits and transparency. It is worth noting that the Drugs Act of 1976 and the 2012 Dra Act show strict sanctions for the sale of expired medicine, including up to five years in prison, heavy fines, cancellation of drug colices and litigation. However, in the absence of a national pharmaceutical, legislative enforcement remains weak. Currently, Pakistan has 900 registered formulations, including 400 classified as essential (life-saving) and 500 as non-essential.
Therefore, ongoing practice and repeated complaints suggest that urgent reforms are needed in purchasing monitoring to ensure patient safety and regulatory compliance.
