Alternative medicines, health products: LCCI holds session on integrated online portal

LAHORE: An interactive session on “The Integrated Online Portal for Alternative Medicines and Health Products” was held under the auspices of the Health & OTC Standing Committee of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI).

The session was graced by senior officials from the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), including Manzoor Buzdar, Director Health & OTC; Arsalan Tariq, Deputy Director; and Yasir Mehmood, Deputy Director MIS, along with Shamim Akhtar, Convener, Health & OTC Standing Committee, LCCI, and leaders and representatives of relevant industry associations.

The session received an overwhelming and encouraging response, bringing together a large number of stakeholders from the Allopathic, Homeopathic, Nutraceutical, Herbal and allied health-product sectors, while a significant number of participants also joined online.

The discussion provided an important platform for stakeholders to share their practical challenges, concerns and valuable suggestions regarding the proposed integrated online portal.

The DRAP team provided valuable insight into the digital initiative, while participants discussed how an integrated platform could simplify regulatory processes, improve coordination, enhance transparency, facilitate businesses and make regulatory services more accessible to stakeholders.

The enthusiastic participation reflected the industry’s strong commitment to digital transformation, regulatory facilitation and a more efficient, transparent and stakeholder-friendly regulatory ecosystem.

The Health & OTC Standing Committee of LCCI, under the convenership of Shamim Akhtar, remains committed to strengthening constructive engagement between DRAP, industry associations and the business community, and to supporting initiatives that promote ease of doing business and sustainable growth of Pakistan’s health-products sector.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026