ISLAMABAD: The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has approved the registration of new lifesaving drugs from various pharmaceutical companies to meet shortages.
The development took place following the directives of the Caretaker Federal Minister for National Health Services and Regulations, Dr Nadeem Jan, a few weeks ago, after the report of shortage of various medicines in the local market.
The DRAP has approved the registration of various medicines including anaesthesia injections, anti-cancer medicine, influenza vaccines, Anafortan injections, Semaglutide injections, and other medicines on emergency basis to address the complaints of shortage in the market.
The minister, while chairing a meeting of the Health Ministry, said that there would be no compromise on the quality of medicines as “providing safe, effective, and quality medicines to the public is our first priority.” He said that not only on federal level but on provincial level the relevant departments were taking concrete steps to increase the capacity of the pharma industry.
He said the registration board of DRAP had suspended the registration of six manufacturers for producing adulterated and substandard medicines, moreover, the authorities had issued show-cause notices to seven manufacturers over various complains.
The minister said that on the directives of the ministry, the DRAP licencing board had cancelled the licences of three pharmaceutical companies on violation of manufacturing practices.
Dr Jan said the veterinary vaccines for cattle especially the vaccine for lumpy skin disease were also approved.
Dr Nadeem hoped that the prompt registration of anti-cancer, sugar, and other lifesaving drugs would help end the shortage of medicines in the market.
The minister said the step would help improve the supply of drugs being used for the treatment of diabetes and blood pressure. He said the DRAP had also approved the imported drugs as well as allowed local manufacturers to produce cancer treatment-related medicines in Pakistan.
The minister said the government was ensuring an uninterrupted supply of life-saving medicines for which all necessary steps were being taken by all the relevant quarters.
He said that to facilitate the pharmaceutical industry of the country the government in collaboration with industry had decided to build pharma parks for enhancing local production.
The minister said the government was focusing on the steps to attract more local and foreign investment in the production and promotion of a wide range of local medicines, aiming at to take drug exports to $5 billion within next few years.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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