ISLAMABAD: According to National Assembly documents, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) had collected over 200,000 samples from medical stores and health facilities and chemical analysis found 446 of them spurious. The samples were collected over the period of last five years. However, the five-year data showed that with every passing year the number of drugs declared spurious had decreased.
While talking to the media, Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) spokesperson, Sajid Shah claimed that the performance of the regulatory body had improved over the years. The reply from Sajid Shah stated that 229,453 samples were tested at the federal and provincial drug testing laboratories.
In 2015, as many as 40,291 samples were collected, out of which 202 were found spurious. In 2016, 43,705 samples were sent to drug testing labs and 96 of them were found spurious. In year 2017, as many as 59,611 samples were collected and labs declared 83 of the samples as spurious. In 2018, 44,146 samples were collected and 41 were found spurious. However, in 2019, only 24 samples out of the total 41,700 were found spurious.
The documents claimed that on the receipt of a report from the Central Drugs Testing Laboratory declaring a drug spurious, DRAP issued a recall alert to its field offices, provincial health departments and the manufacturer to save the general public from possible hazard.
Medicines found spurious or substandard in 2019 and mentioned by DRAP were: chlorpheniramine syrup and galtran tablets. In 2018, cardol tablets, quinozef 250mg tablets, magnett-DS suspension, amropyron injection (for vet only), zerodol tablets and samodryl expectorant were found spurious or substandard. In year 2015, amcof cough syrup was found spurious.
Mr Shah said whenever a medicine was found spurious or substandard, the company was directed to recall the medicine from the market at the earliest. “Moreover, advisories are immediately sent to medical stores and health facilities to stop selling and prescribing the medicine. Health of the people is very important for us and Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza has been pushing DRAP to ensure that only quality medicines are provided to the citizens,” Sajid said.
Mr Shah said DRAP had introduced the global unique identification code system in Pakistan to eradicate the sale of spurious drugs and overpricing. Because of the new system, buyers could verify a medicine and its price. Moreover, the new system would also made it possible to track the movement of a medicine and recall it in case of any complaint. Prices of medicines could also be checked through the bar code system, Shah added.
Dr Muattar Hanif
The author is Editor at Dental News Pakistan and can be reached at newsdesk@medicalnewsgroup.com.pk
