Pakistan's Karachi city is facing a severe shortage of essential medicines, including life-saving drugs, which is causing problems for patients, media reports said.

Sources told ARY News that Karachi is severely affected by shortage of key medicines, including vaccines, insulin for diabetes management, epilepsy drugs and several other products.

Additionally, medicines for blood pressure control and other life-saving drugs are being sold at exorbitant prices in the black market, the newspaper reported.

Last month, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) launched crackdown against artificial shortage of life-saving medicines, the Pakistani newspaper reported.

 Illegal sale of essential medicines is still taking place in the country despite all actions taken by authorities.

Sources told ARY News that an alternative drug of another medicine containing rare formula was being registered.

The DRAP sources told the newspaper that out-of-turn drug registration facility is being given to the companies.