ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday issued directives to establish a drug testing laboratory of international standard in federal capital, aimed at upholding global quality benchmarks for medicines in the country.
Sharif, while presiding over a meeting on health and pharmaceutical sector reforms, also directed to launch mobile hospitals to deliver healthcare facilities in the outskirts of Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir, and Balochistan.
He also directed the authorities to launch a crackdown against the spurious medicines in the country in consultation with the provincial governments, adding that the fraudsters cannot be allowed to play with human lives.
Sharif said that a comprehensive plan should be developed and presented to improve the pharmaceutical sector and regulations in cooperation with provincial governments.
He said that the officials facilitating counterfeiting in the pharmaceutical sector within Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) should be identified, and immediate action should be ensured against them.
Sharif also directed the authorities to ensure an increase in medicine exports through research in the pharmaceutical sector. He instructed to expedite the implementation on reforms programme in DRAP.
He also issued directives to expedite the implementation of the reform programme in DRAP.
He directed to ensure the appointment of reputed and experienced experts in the relevant fields on merit in the DRAP Policy Board.
He instructed to take priority measures to strengthen and make the Drug Pricing Committee effective.
During the meeting, he was apprised of the progress about the ongoing reforms in the health and pharmaceutical sector.
It was informed that the registration system for medicines manufactured in the country under a digital system is in the final stages of implementation.
Furthermore, consultations on the National Medicines Policy are continuing, which will soon be presented for approval.
The meeting was informed about the appointment of 94 new drug inspectors and the performance review of the existing 25 drug inspectors. The prime minister instructed to ensure transparency in the appointment process of new drug inspectors.
The meeting was told that volume of Pakistan’s current medicine exports is 500 million dollars, while the Ministry of Health is taking steps, including the provision of research facilities, to increase exports. The establishment of an Export Directorate in DRAP to increase domestic medicine exports is also in the final stages.
Sharif was also briefed on the steps being taken by the Ministry of Health to enhance the capacity of the sector and align it with international standards to further promote the export of surgical instruments.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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