Healthcare industry in shambles

Patients and the Healthcare industry is being held ransom due to critical non-delivery of key directives from the regulator. Companies are unable to supply medicine due to timeframes for approval of amendments. New innovative products submitted in 2012 has not received any review and simply gets added to the rest of the backlog. The regulator promised to honour submission timeframes in the approval of medicine and will now perform batch approval; meaning all companies launch simultaneously - whether you submitted 2012 or 2017. No competitive edge is allowed and no innovative medicines is coming out. Now they have come out with ridiculous unachievable timeframes for industry submissions - this will lead to poor quality submissions and yet another backlog will be created. This will also lead to companies removing their products and reducing the options to the South African consumer. It is an absolutely appalling abuse of power, but since they are claiming to be doing something (17 months after starting) they are getting away with their bullying tactics to companies providing many jobs and life saving medicines to South Africa.