As many as 3,191 morphine injections have expired at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) after remaining unused.
The hospital administration, however, has denied any financial loss to the public treasury, claiming that the supplier will replace the expired injections at no additional cost after the required legal procedures are completed.
According to official documents, pharmacist Talha Mehboob Khan informed Assistant Manager of Pharmacy Services Saima Saleem in a letter dated December 24, 2025, that 3,191 morphine injections were lying unused in the hospital’s narcotics cabinet, just six days before their expiration date of December 30.
The records show that NICVD used 2,809 morphine injections between October 2023 and November 2025, while the remaining 3,191 injections accounted for nearly 53% of the total stock of 6,000.
The letter also confirmed that the unused injections were stored in the narcotics cabinet and its key had been handed over to the designated custodian.
Responding to the matter, NICVD spokesperson Abdul Naseer said morphine is a controlled narcotic drug, and its procurement, transportation, storage, use, and return are subject to strict legal requirements.
He explained that the injections are supplied through imported shipments and cannot be returned like ordinary medicines. Their return requires inspection and verification by a drug inspector, along with the completion of other legal formalities.
Once the process is completed, the supplier will replace the expired stock with fresh injections without charging the hospital, he added.
The administration maintained that NICVD has an inventory management system and stock registers to monitor the receipt, storage, distribution, and use of medicines, with additional oversight measures for controlled drugs.
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