Only one insulin brand is unavailable, health ministry says

Health authorities on Tuesday denied reports of a widespread insulin shortage in Pakistan, saying only one brand was unavailable because of international supply problems, Dawn reported.

The clarification came after reports of a nationwide shortage spread on social media. The Ministry of National Health Services and the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) said alternatives to the missing brand were available in the market.

“Insulin glulisine (Apidra, Sanofi) is currently unavailable due to international supply constraints. Alternate rapid-acting analogues within the same pharmacological class, specifically insulin aspart (NovoRapid, Novo Nordisk) and insulin lispro (Humalog, Eli Lilly), are readily available nationwide,” ministry spokesperson Sajid Shah said.

“All other primary insulin classes remain fully accessible across Pakistan,” he added.

What patients should know

• Missing: only Apidra (insulin glulisine), a rapid-acting insulin made by Sanofi
• Alternatives: NovoRapid (insulin aspart) and Humalog (insulin lispro), in the same class, are available across the country
• Before switching: patients prescribed Apidra “should consult their attending healthcare provider prior to modifying their regimen”, the spokesperson said

He explained that medically approved insulin falls into two categories. Insulin analogues include rapid-acting, long-acting and premixed types, while human insulin includes short-acting and intermediate-acting types.

A history of medicine shortages

Concerns about medicine supply are not new. In August 2025, the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) warned of “an unprecedented” and severe shortage of essential medicines that it said threatened the lives of millions of patients.

At least 80 important medicines were unavailable at the time, 25 of them with no substitutes, according to the PMA. They included life-saving drugs for diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, heart disease and psychiatric disorders.

In March 2026, the PMA warned of a severe shortage of essential paediatric tuberculosis and cancer medicines, calling for immediate intervention.

Ninth secretary in 19 months

The same ministry has again changed its top bureaucrat. The Establishment Division on Monday notified Momin Agha, a grade-22 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service, as the new health secretary “with immediate effect and until further orders”, Dawn reported.

Agha is the ninth secretary appointed during the tenure of Health Minister Mustafa Kamal, who took the oath in February 2025. A health expert, speaking on condition of anonymity, listed the turnover:

• Nadeem Mahboob, until March 2025
• Nasiruddin Mashood, until May 2025
• Waqarul Hasan, until June 2025
• Hamed Yaqoob, until February 2026
• Aslam Ghauri, until August 2026
• Retired Captain Mahmood, until September 2026
• Fakhre Alam, who then joined, before Mahboob was given additional charge for a single day and then replaced by Agha

Kamal had earlier told Dawn he had nothing to do with the changes, since the Establishment Division was empowered to make such decisions.

Agha was removed as petroleum secretary in January 2026 and told to report to the Establishment Division without a new posting.

Why it matters

For diabetic patients, a single missing brand can still mean a worrying trip to the doctor and a change of treatment. Steady leadership at the health ministry matters for keeping medicines on pharmacy shelves, and nine secretaries in 19 months is a long way from steady. Read our report on cancer patients abandoning treatment at JPMC.

This article draws on reporting by Dawn.