ISLAMABAD: In response to complaints regarding alternative medicine in Pakistan, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) has begun upgrading its drug testing laboratories across the country to monitor medicine quality.

Measures are also being taken to ensure that allopathic medication is not sold under the name of alternative medicine at high prices. Alternative medicine includes Ayurvedic, Chinese, Unani, herbal and homeopathic remedies.

Last year, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Secretary Mohammad Abid Majeed wrote to the then National Health Services (NHS) secretary Ayub Sheikh on the issue of unregistered medicine sold in the market.

The letter, available with Dawn, claimed that a number of unregistered firms were pouring so-called food supplements, nutraceuticals, baby formula and herbal medicine products into the market.

Last year, KP health secretary wrote to NHS secretary regarding sale of allopathic drugs disguised as alternative medicine

“Invariably all these so called alternative medicines were reported as containing allopathic ingredients openly sold in the market. From January to June 2016 as many as 534 nutrition/alternative medicines were analyzed by the provincial drug laboratories and it was found that there were ingredients which become reason of severe damage to public health,” the letter stated.

A doctor from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) said this was a serious issue, claiming that a number of companies had stopped manufacturing allopathic medicine and begun manufacturing alternative medicines, as allopathic medicines were being sold as alternative medicine products at high prices.

Drap CEO Dr Mohammad Aslam said in a statement that Drap has implemented a number of laws to regulate therapeutic goods across the country.

“We have taken major steps to bring unregulated fields of herbals, alternative medicines and medical devices under the umbrella of regulation by making rules for these products,” he said.

He added that the drug registration process has been made stricter by ensuring the authenticity of drug registration data through the “onsite product specific inspection of pharmaceutical firms” by a panel of experts.

A standardised WHO format, and common technical document have been introduced, which has made it possible to check medicine quality at the time of registration, he said.

NHS ministry spokesperson Sajid Shah said Drap has also started monitoring adverse drug reactions to marketed drugs through a legislative mechanism of pharmacovigilance.

“Similarly, rules to conduct clinical trials and research on new drugs in Pakistan has been recommended by the authority for approval and is now under consideration by the federal government,” he added.

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2017