ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHSRC), Thursday, grilled the Drug Regulatory Authority Pakistan (DRAP) for ineffective monitoring and failure to control the spread of spurious, unregistered and sub-standard drugs across the country.
The committee meeting was held under the chairmanship of Dr Mahesh Kumar Malani, MNA to discuss various pressing issues related to health, licensing of drugs, homeopathic and alternative drugs as well as three amendment bills.
The committee disposed-off “The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (Amendment) Bill, 2024”, moved by Shaista Pervaiz, MNA. Whereas, the debate on “The Islamabad Healthcare Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2024”, moved by Shaista Pervaiz Malik and “The Pharmacy (Amendment) Bill, 2024”, moved by Abdul Qadir Patel, MNA were deferred due to absence of movers.
Discussing the matters pertaining to the working and performance of the DRAP, the committee highlighted the acute shortage of resources, pending recruitments and the need for a robust regulatory framework to address pharmaceutical malpractice.
It was recommended that rules for filling vacant positions in DRAP be expedited, alongside efforts to strengthen inspection mechanisms for pharmaceutical products and vaccines.
Members also stressed the importance of harmonising drug licensing procedures to reduce delays and ensure the availability of quality-assured medicines.
The committee urged DRAP to adopt a more proactive approach in monitoring drug efficacy, availability and pricing to safeguard public health interests. The committee members also recommended enhancing the existing penalties for non-compliance of standards. Additionally, the need to prioritize local manufacturing of essential vaccines was emphasised to minimise reliance on imports and ensure a steady supply.
The committee commended DRAP for its efforts to digitize the drug licensing application process.
It was noted that a standardised harmonised form has been developed to streamline licensing procedures. The committee emphasised the importance of establishing clear and stringent rules for drug licensing to enhance transparency and efficiency. Additionally, the committee directed DRAP to share the finalised licensing rules in the next meeting.
Briefing the panel, Dr Obaidullah, chief executive officer (CEO) DRAP said that the organisation was facing serious shortage of staff not only at senior level but junior level, adding that monitoring and controlling of spurious, substandard and unregistered drugs was not only DRAP’s responsibility but largely provincial governments’ were responsible for it as health after 18th constitutional amendment was a devolved subject. He said that the DRAP was making all possible efforts to ensure effective regulation across the board and to deal with the staff shortage board has sent a summary to the federal government.
The committee discussed several issues such as the regulation of food standards, healthcare governance and recruitment practices. The committee members expressed concerns over the Ministry of Science and Technology’s delay in addressing unresolved matters related to food product standards, particularly the introduction of front-of-package warnings. Recognising the adverse health impacts of ultra-processed foods, the committee recommended imposing a levy on such products. The revenue generated would support health promotion initiatives aimed at combating non-communicable diseases.
The issue of administrative inefficiencies and recruitment delays at institutions such as Polyclinic and the Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA) was also discussed in depth. Members urged immediate action to ensure transparency and fairness in hiring practices. The committee directed the ministry to submit detailed reports on recruitment processes and measures to enhance institutional accountability in the next meeting.
The meeting was attended by MNAs, Dr Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, Sabheen Ghoury, Farah Naz Akbar, Dr Nikhat Shakeel Khan, Aliya Kamran, Zahra Wadood Fatemi, Shahram Khan, Dr Amjad Ali Khan, Shabbir Ali Qureshi, Azimud Din Zahid Lakhwi in person, whereas, Nisar Ahmed, MNA attended virtually. The minister for NHSR&C, the secretary along with senior officers from the ministry and its attached departments attended the meeting.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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