Ambika Sharma

Tribune press service

Solan, October 19

The shortage of aluminum foil (packaging material), coupled with escalating prices, could lead to shortages of several essential drugs as their manufacture has become unsustainable.

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority controls the prices of 680 scheduled drug formulations. Prices are revised once a year, based on the wholesale price index.

Price up to 25-30 pc

With aluminum foil prices rising 25-30% in three months, the manufacturing of several drugs has become unsustainable. Some scheduled medications may become unavailable if the situation is not checked immediately. SL Singla, Counselor, Association of Medicines Manufacturers

“With the price of aluminum foil increasing by 25 to 30% in the past three months, the manufacture of several drugs has become unsustainable. Several scheduled drugs may become unavailable, if the situation is

not under control, ”said SL Singla, advisor, Himachal Drug Manufacturers Association.

Pharmaceutical manufacturers have faced a shortage of foil for the past 5-6 months. Singla, a pharmaceutical manufacturer itself whose unit uses 25 tonnes of aluminum products each month, said: “There has been a Rs 60 increase in the price of packaging materials in the past 45 days. This increased the cost of producing my unit by Rs 15 lakh. “

“As a result, manufacturers are forced to revise drug prices at short intervals. However, this cannot be done with scheduled drugs, ”said Singla, who heads MDC Pharmaceuticals at Baddi.

Sanjay Khurana, an aluminum foil supplier in the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh Industrial Belt (BBN), said: “Production has been affected in China due to a power shortage and the implementation strict measures to verify the carbon footprint. This has affected supplies around the world, including India. “

“Domestic producers are more interested in exports and this has created a shortage of aluminum packaging materials in the domestic market,” he added.

“Supply will probably only represent about 50% of domestic demand in October. The situation was almost similar in September and there is no likelihood of improvement in the near future, ”he added.