Counterfeit, substandard medicines: DRAP asked to utilise all resources

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Syed Mustafa Kamal, Tuesday, while stressing the need for eliminating counterfeit and substandard medicines, directed the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) and other relevant departments to utilise all resources for the purpose.

The minister said this here while visiting the DRAP headquarters, saying that eliminating counterfeit and substandard medicines is essential for a healthier Pakistan.

The Minister for Health held a meeting with senior officials of DRAP including newly-appointed Chief Executive Officer Dr Obaidullah. The CEO DRAP briefed the federal minister on the institution’s functions, performance, and challenges.

While addressing the DRAP officers, Health Minister Kamal said that “Our decisions directly impact human lives and the outcomes of our decisions and actions should benefit the common man.”

In this respect, the minister directed, “the elimination of counterfeit and substandard medicines is imperative.”

“We must protect human lives from potential threats at all costs,” Kamal said. He said that “a coordinated strategy will be developed in collaboration with provincial governments to eliminate counterfeit medicines.”

“Pharmaceutical industries and local manufacturing should be facilitated and DRAP’s policies should be conducive to investment so that foreign manufacturing companies prioritise investing in Pakistan,” Kamal said.

The Federal Minister for Health emphasised increasing medicine exports by adopting international standards, adding that “the journey to elevate DRAP to WHO Level 4 should be accelerated.”

During the meeting, the minister further said that a National Medicine Policy will be formulated in consultations with all the stakeholders.

The DRAP officials in their briefing to the minister said DRAP in close collaboration with the federal health departments and provincial health authorities was using all available resources to check substandard medicines. The DRAP is also implementing Worlds Health Organization set rules and regulations on pharmaceutical industry, they informed the minister.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025