Commonly used over-the-counter (OTC) acetaminophen, as Pakistan now faces rising numbers of dengue fever and coronavirus cases, as well as increased demand from water-borne diseases due to monsoon floods. facing a serious shortage of

As a result, there is a nationwide shortage of Panadol, and with the drug becoming increasingly difficult to find, citizens are looking for alternatives.

Paracetamol is manufactured under the brand name ‘Panadol’ by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), a major pharmaceutical manufacturer in Pakistan.

Sudden shortages have caused people to look for alternative brands that manufacture the same drug under different names.

Following is the list of alternative drugs, produced by other local brands in Pakistan.

Brand Name	Manufacturer	Dosage (mg)	Retail Price
Askprol	Askari Pharmaceuticals	500	Rs. 100
Calpol (200 pack)	GSK	500	Rs. 312
Disprol	Reckitt Benckiser (RB) Pakistan	500	Rs. 180
Doliprane	Sanofi Aventis	500	Rs. 100
Paracetamol	Ferozsons Laboratories	500	Rs. 129
Pracmol	Glitz Pharma	500	Rs. 460
Vamol	Valor Pharmaceuticals	500	Rs. 100
Boschtamol	Bosch Pharmaceuticals	500	Rs. 70

Here is the list of alternatives to Panadol’s pediatric dosage in Pakistan.

Brand Name	Manufacturer	Dosage (mg)	Retail Price
Calpol Pediatric (90 ml)	GSK	120mg/5ml	Rs. 46
Askprol	Askari Pharma	120mg/5ml	Rs. 15
Paracetamol (450ml)	Ferozsons Pharma	120mg/5ml	Rs. 56
Pracmol (60 ml)	Glitz Pharma	120mg/5ml	Rs. 25

Experts believe the shortage of Panadol was primarily due to high demand and impacted production.

Journalist Ali Khizar says GSK manufactures more than 450 million Panadol tablets each month. However, the company’s production costs are above the maximum retail price (MRP) set by the government, minimizing production and leading to shortages.

Note: Pricing and availability of the above brand names may vary by location. Pricing data comes from DrugInfoSys, a database of drugs available in Pakistan.