ISLAMABAD: The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) registered 312 FIRs and lodged 1,560 cases against the manufacturers of spurious medicines and other violators in drug court this year, the Senate was told on Friday.

Minister of National Health Services (NHS) Aamer Mehmood Kiani informed the Senate that Drap has been vigilant in the eradication of spurious and unregistered drugs.

In response to a question from Senator Mohammad Ali Shah Jamot, Mr Kiani said that 190 FIRs were lodged in 2017 and 2,495 cases were launched in drug court by Drap and provincial governments.

NHS minister says 0.08pc of samples tested between Jan and June this year were declared spurious

He said Drap had approached the Supreme Court regarding uncooperative investigating partners, resulting in action against spurious and unregistered drugs by Everest Pharmaceuticals in Islamabad.

The manufacturer was allegedly involved in manufacturing and selling 73 unregistered and spurious drugs, and the upper house was informed that around 111 FIRs and cases have been registered against the company.

The Senate was also told that the company’s premises was sealed and the CEO was arrested in a raid in March. The case is being tried in the court of the chairman of the Islamabad drug court.

A national taskforce was subsequently constituted in collaboration with provincial health departments to eradicate spurious and unregistered drugs. During this campaign, 4,568 inspections were carried out, 1,758 Drap Act violations were observed and 1,282 regulatory actions – such as sealing premises and seizing stock – were taken.

Mr Kiani said two quarterly reports have been submitted to the SC on its directions and the campaign is ongoing.

Pakistan tested and analysed 61,266 samples last year, of which 83 (0.13pc) were declared spurious. Between January and June this year 26,521 samples were tested by drug testing laboratories and 20 (0.08pc) were declared spurious.

The minister added that Drap, with the NHS ministry’s approval, had increased the number of drug inspectors from 14 to 21 to strengthen the implementation of the Drap Act.

He said the federal government has notified the barcode system for prompt tracing and tracking of spurious and counterfeit drugs at every level, but it has yet to be fully implemented.

The legislation procedure for the registration of drugs has been upgraded in accordance with international guidelines that will enable the authority to obtain more information on active pharmaceutical ingredients, manufacturing and analysis methods, product characteristics that will enhance product quality, he said.

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2018