The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has launched a sweeping crackdown on spurious pharmaceutical products following official complaints from provincial health authorities. Reports from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Sindh revealed that multiple batches of medicines and medical products have been identified as falsified or substandard.
In response, DRAP issued recall alerts targeting products like Penbiotic injection, Carfen suspension, Novidat tablets, and others. Notably, some items were traced back to fictitious manufacturers, highlighting regulatory lapses. DRAP’s National Regulatory Field Force (NRFF) and provincial drug control departments have been instructed to conduct market surveys and ensure these products are removed from circulation immediately.
Pharmacists, chemists, and healthcare professionals have been directed to stop distributing or prescribing the listed products. They must quarantine existing stocks and provide supplier details to area drug inspectors. Manufacturers of defective batches have been ordered to recall their products, while field inspections are underway to detect and eliminate these threats to public health.
The crackdown also addresses substandard folic acid and Cefradin capsule batches. DRAP reiterated its commitment to safeguarding public health through strict enforcement and collaboration with provincial authorities.
