Tag: Panadol

  • GSK stops production of Panadol in Pakistan

    GSK stops production of Panadol in Pakistan

    GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Consumer Healthcare Pakistan on Friday announced that it is stopping the production of Panadol Tablets, Panadol Extra Tablets and Children’s Panadol Liquid Range amid financial losses.

    “We are incurring heavy financial losses on the production of the entire Panadol range due to an increase in the price of their raw ingredients and in the absence of due approval by the federal government on the recommendation of Drug Pricing Committee of Drug Regulatory Committee of Pakistan. Due to these challenges, manufacturing of Panadol range on negative margins is unsustainable and despite exhaustive efforts of the company to mitigate the issue through dialogue, the situation is now beyond our control, compelling us to declare force majeure,” Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GSK Consumer Healthcare Pakistan, Farhan Haroon, said in a letter to PM’s Principal Secretary Syed Tauqir Shah.

    GlaxoSmithKline informed investors on Friday that it had a net loss of Rs345.2 million for the quarter ending in September, as opposed to a net profit of Rs363.9m for the same time the previous year.

    Panadol is among the highest selling medicine brands in the country, with demand for the drug being the highest in Punjab. The medicine comes in formulations meant for infants, children and adults. A sister brand named Panadol Extend is also part of the company’s products.

  • Panadol production stopped in Pakistan, shortage expected

    The widely used over-the-counter (OTC) drug panadol and paracetamol may not be available in markets as the company that produced the brands has stopped production of both the drugs.

    Panadol is a generic drug used to treat fevers, minor pains such as headaches and vaccination shot ache.

    The company has cited cost-effectiveness for not manufacturing the drug anymore.

    The manufacturer, who has been requesting authorities to raise the price of Panadol, claims that production was no longer financially viable.

    According to the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Association of Pakistan, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) reportedly issued a summary to the health ministry requesting an increase of Rs 1per tablet, but the federal cabinet rejected the document.

    The association says the manufacturer could not sell the medicine at less than the production cost.

    According to the pharmaceutical industry, the manufacturing of the tablets has been fully stopped.

    DRAP has been formally informed that some of the tablets sold by pharmacies are fraudulent.

    Panadol is among the highest selling medicine brands in the country, with demand for the drug being the highest in Punjab. The medicine comes in formulations meant for infants, children and adults. A sister brand named Panadol Extend is also part of the company’s products.

  • More than 40 life-saving drugs short in Pakistan

    More than 40 life-saving drugs short in Pakistan

    Due to the imposition of GST, the pharmaceutical industry is no longer importing raw materials, resulting in a shortage of 40-50 life-saving drugs.

    Mansoor Dilawar, Chairman of the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Association (PPMA), stated that 40 to 50 medicines are in short supply and that the number will soon exceed 100.

    According to Brecorder, the pharmaceutical industry has been waiting for Rs40 billion in sales tax refunds since January 16, 2022. However, the FBR has denied that any refunds were held by the tax authority.

    Unavailable drugs

    Alp tablets for anti-depression, Dexamethasone for asthma, cancer, and joint pain, Epitab for epilepsy, Nervin for depression, Epival, Fexet D, Nitronal, Ventoline tablets and injections are among the medicines in short supply on the market.

    Furthermore, Epival In, Myrin P, Ketasol Inj, Loprin, Silver tab, phenergen Elixir, Tixylix Lincitilus, Chlooriptics Drops, systane drops, Rivotril drops, Dormicum tablets, Winstor, Tritace, Sodamint, Schazobutil, Jardymet, and Brufen are said to be in short supply.

    There are also no Lomotil, Panadol, Tan Primolut B, Progynova, Stilnix, Glucobay, Zentel, Avor, Gravibinan, Syp Gaviscon, Lipofundin, or Sorbid Injection available.

    According to the PPMA chairman, the industry is halting production of low-margin items after the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) imposed taxes that increased the industry’s cost of production by Rs60 billion to Rs70 billion.

    Read more: FBR collects highest-ever tax of Rs6 trillion in FY22

    “Because drug prices are capped, the pharmaceutical industry cannot pass on higher production costs to consumers,” he explained.

    “As a result, the industry has been forced to halt production of low-margin medicines, which have become unviable due to tax increases,” Dilawar added.

    According to Dilawar, the industry pays a 17 per cent refundable GST at the import stage and raw materials are subject to a 1 per cent non-refundable tax. The government then imposed a 1 per cent tax on the sale of medicines. This forces the industry to pay taxes ranging from Rs60 billion to Rs70 billion per year.