Dr. Rizwan Arshad
Patron in chief, PPHA, Pakistan
Title: Access to Orphan drugs: Eradication of spurious drugs channels though forming Global Health Network
Biography
Biography: Dr. Rizwan Arshad
Abstract
Statement of the Problem: In Pakistan the rare disease reported patients are facing problems on access of quality and affordable medicines. Due to expensive treatments some patient’s loss their life due to inadequate support from the authorities, pharma industries and health professionals or if some manage to afford they are unable to get the quality medicines for their rare diseases. The main challenge in Pakistan is that medical science become helpless at many times against a rare disease and the situation become horrendous both for the patients and their family members. There is nothing more agonizing for a patient and his family than to know that the disease he is suffering from has no known cure, if cure exist than treatment cost would certainly don’t save the lives due to patients non affordability. Is the medical world really helpless in such cases or is it because health professionals are not armed to combat these rare diseases?? The purpose of this study is to answer such questions. The main dilemma here is also to find the quality orphan drugs according to regulations of authorities. So the need has been arisen through the existing scenario of timely access to orphan drugs in affordable prices within quality control measures and through proper regulatory channels. Findings: The global health network access model has formed in result to the factors of the study which facilitate patients in accessing medicines which are not registered or unavailable in home country. This model used their network for legal importation through quality control measures of innovative life-saving medicines which are available in developed countries. such life-saving medicines are typically difficult to access in Pakistan where market authorization has not been obtained. Conclusion
& Significance: This paper showed up the holistic approach of patients accessing rare diseases treatments through global health access model and finding their treatment solutions though proper workflows with global collaborations.