New Delhi: The rising tension in the Middle East is already affecting India’s healthcare sector. Pharmaceutical companies are worried about supply chain disruptions, rising raw material prices, and a sudden increase in production costs. If the situation continues for a long time, the impact could be felt directly by patients in the form of shortages, delays, and expensive treatment. Now let us tell you which medicines will be affected…
Which medicines will be affected?
The biggest concern among these is the essential medicines used every day. Medicines used to treat fever, infections, diabetes, and heart disease could be affected by the crisis. Experts believe that if the costs continue to rise, it may be difficult for companies to continue production. For example, a common medicine like paracetamol, which is used in every household, may become more expensive or unavailable. The same situation could happen with antibiotics, diabetes, and heart disease medicines. Patients may have to change their medications, miss doses, or incur additional expenses.
Why will prices increase?
In fact, the root of this crisis is the sharp increase in the cost of raw materials. According to the pharmaceutical industry, the cost of active drug ingredients, solvents, and other essential ingredients has increased by 200 to 300 percent in just 15 days. The cost of producing paracetamol has also almost doubled.
Another problem is that many essential medicines, including paracetamol, are under government price control. Their prices are already fixed, so companies cannot increase prices even if they increase them, making it difficult to maintain production. Not only raw materials but also packaging costs are also increasing rapidly. Aluminum foil, plastic, and glass containers used in packaging medicines have become expensive. These ingredients are essential for the safety and preservation of medicines, so they cannot be ignored.