The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap), which is one of the most sensitive regulatory authorities in the country, has no permanent directors since its inception. Drap, according to its constitution and the Drap Act 2012, should have 13 directors headed by a chief executive officer.

Unfortunately, the authority has never been able to appoint its permanent directors for unknown reasons. At least six of these 13 positions are filled on an ad hoc basis with extensions given every three months.

Some important positions in Drap have been lying vacant for months now. One such example is that of the slot of the director of quality assurance to head all the federal inspectors and the provincial heads to ensure quality standards in the pharmaceutical sector.

Drap also needs to fill the position of CEO. Since the departure of the last CEO, who was sent packing in March 2019, the authority has not been able to find a suitable candidate internally or externally. This top-level position has also been filled on an ad hoc basis with an additional director.

These overlapping positions and their extensions are not only causing obstacles in the performance and efficiency of Drap, but is also impacting the pharmaceutical sector which relies on their endorsements and approvals to remain sustainable.

The health minister should look into Drap affairs and appoint officials on a permanent basis as soon as possible.

Jameel Ahmed Lodhi
Lahore

Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2020