Pakistan’s health ministry has denied reports of a widespread insulin shortage in the country. The ministry says only one brand, Apidra, is currently unavailable due to international supply constraints. Social media posts claim the shortage threatens the lives of Type 1 diabetic patients across Pakistan.
Ministry spokesperson Sajid Shah confirmed that Apidra (insulin glulisine), manufactured by Sanofi, has vanished from medical stores. However, he said two alternative rapid-acting insulins remain available nationwide. These include NovoRapid (insulin aspart) by Novo Nordisk and Humalog (insulin lispro) by Eli Lilly. In addition, Shah said all other primary insulin categories are fully accessible across Pakistan.
The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) also backed the ministry’s position. Both agencies urged patients currently on Apidra to consult their healthcare provider before switching brands. They warned that changing insulin types requires careful dose adjustment and close monitoring to maintain blood sugar control.
Pakistan has about 34 million people living with diabetes, making it the third-highest country globally after India and China, according to the International Diabetes Federation. Of these, over 100,000 have Type 1 diabetes, which requires daily insulin to survive. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) warned in August 2025 that at least 80 essential medicines had disappeared from the market, with 25 having no substitutes.
The government has also pursued long-term solutions to repeated insulin shortages. DRAP granted Genetics Pharmaceuticals permission to import insulin from Russian company Zavod Medisintez in 2025. Furthermore, officials have held high-level meetings on joint ventures between Pakistani and Russian pharmaceutical companies. Experts, however, say local manufacturing remains the only reliable long-term fix, as recurring shortages have hit Pakistan roughly every few months since 2023.
