ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has begun an inquiry into irregularities in the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap), such as the increase in drug prices, the sale of unregistered stents at high prices and the absence of medicine records.

A NAB letter dated March 13, available with Dawn, shows that a complaint has been registered and a complaint number has been allotted. The application was also forwarded to Investigation Wing-II for further processing.

NAB’s investigation officer, Bilal Khan, said the bureau has already been investigating irregularities at the authority. He said it was decided that the application will be clubbed in the existing case, but a fresh investigation will be initiated.

Irregularities include increase in medicine, stent prices, absence of medicine records

However, National Health Services (NHS) Secretary Ayub Sheikh said the stents issue has almost been addressed.

Over a month ago, the president of the Drug Lawyers Forum, Noor Mohammad Mahar, sent NAB an application alleging that Drap was missing the records of 80,000 medicines, as the authority had uploaded a letter to its website asking pharmaceutical companies to provide records of their medicines.

The complaint also alleged that drug inspectors were directed to collect data on medicine registration – with the name of the manufacturer and importer, the name of the drug, the registration number, composition, approved pack size, approved price etc – from private parties. A disclaimer on the Drap website also stated that the authority had no data and the information provided by the companies would be published in the Gazette of Pakistan.

The complaint alleged that medicine prices were increased unnecessarily during the last few years, and a mafia was involved in the sale and purchase of stents at exorbitant rates but Drap had not taken any action in this regard.

Stents are small expandable tubes used to treat narrowed arteries. In people with coronary heart disease caused by the build-up of plaque, stents can open narrowed arteries, reduce symptoms such as chest pain, and help prevent cardiac arrest.

In January, a huge amount of unregistered cardiac stents – worth over Rs250 million – were recovered from the Mayo Hospital, and it was revealed that in some cases, patients were told stents had been fixed in their arteries when they were not. The Supreme Court took suo motu notice of the case and the Federal Investigation Agency is conducting an inquiry.

Speaking to Dawn, Mr Mahar said he decided to file applications with various offices and raised the issue of the increased medicine and stent prices after he learned that Drap was missing records.

“Initially, I received a letter from NAB that the application has been received, and last week I received a letter than the investigation has been started,” he said.

Drap CEO Dr Mohammad Aslam could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts.

However, NHS Secretary Ayub Sheikh said the current Drap management is trying to address issues that go back 60 years by making a database.

“Records of almost 15 years were available, and the rest was either missing or in bad shape, so it was decided to get the records from the companies and compile them. We are working to address the issues, and those efforts should be appreciated,” he said.

He added: “The prices of medicines were increased because companies went to court and sought stay orders.”

NHS Secretary Sheikh said 68 stents were already registered, and another 30 have been registered since the SC took notice.

“We have issued a notification under which stents, which were treated as medicines, have been declared medical devices. In addition, medical devices have been divided into two categories: life-saving and non-life-saving. Companies have been told that only registered life-saving devices will be allowed into the country. However, six months have been given to register non-life-saving devices,” he said.

Published in Dawn, March 22nd, 2017