ISLAMABAD: The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), in partnership with the US Agency for International Development (USAID), launched an innovative online platform to digitise pharmaceutical imports and exports aiming at increasing efficiency, transparency and accountability.

The system will improve the business environment for the pharmaceutical industry, and support Pakistan’s efforts to attract investment in the sector. In this connection, handover ceremony of the online import and export system was held here on Wednesday, which was attended by the Special Advisor to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on National Health Services Dr Faisal Sultan, Secretary Health DRAP CEO and USAID officials.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Sultan, while appreciating the USAID said, “I thank USAID for helping Pakistan with the digitization, leading to ease of doing business for the pharmaceutical industry as the prime minister envisioned”.

Sultan added that the DRAP now had re-engineered the software and business processes to bring efficiency, transparency, and accountability.

“I applaud this positive step to develop the pharmaceutical industry and introduce international standards for medicine quality assurance systems,” said USAID Mission Director Julie AKoenen.

“The online import and export system is a positive signal for DRAP’s effectiveness as a central regulatory body for therapeutic goods in Pakistan.”

The new digital system, developed by the USAID global health supply chain program, expedites the import and export licensing and certification functions of pharmaceutical products. The digital system also generates electronic certificates with a barcode authentication that reduce time, cut costs, and enable pharmaceutical products to move more easily through the supply chain.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022