16 May 2004	Sunday	25 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

ISLAMABAD, May 15: The health ministry recently arranged a group visit to eight drug manufacturing companies of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Wah Cantonment and Lahore to help local manufacturers enhance their capabilities.

The programme was planned in line with the directives of Health Minister Mohammad Nasir Khan for the management and technical personnel of pharmaceutical industry, regulatory agencies, premier medical institutions, Pakistan Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and drug testing laboratories.

The visit was organized to get a glimpse and first-hand knowledge about the working of plant managers, quality assurance managers of pharma industry, technical personnel from the health ministry, National Institute of Health (NIH), National Veterinary Laboratory, Pakistan Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), Eight drug manufacturing units were selected for the visit, keeping in view adherence to good manufacturing practices, their willingness to open the facilities for their competitors, quality control of drugs and research and development documentation.

In total 160 visitors including chief executives/managing directors, technical personnel from 40 drugs manufacturing units from Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Peshawar, AJK and delegates from health ministry, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Pakistan Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pims, National Control Laboratory for Biologicals and NIH participated.

During the visit, scientific presentations on different important aspects relating to manufacture and quality assurance of drugs were given by experts.