DRAP orders urgent recall of substandard medicines, medical products

The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has issued an immediate recall of several pharmaceutical products after detecting impurities in multiple batches, according to media reports.

The move follows complaints from provincial health authorities and the senior drug inspector of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), prompting urgent action against substandard, falsified, and potentially harmful medicines and medical supplies.

According to DRAP, drug testing laboratories in Lahore and Rawalpindi found several products to be substandard, leading to their recall. The affected items include Ame-Pin injection by Ameer Pharma, Aqua-P injection by Ipram International, Flagyl Infusion by Sanofi-Aventis, Metroin Infusion by Saturn Pharmaceuticals, Euro-Flow Cannula by Euromed, Rudazole Injection by Rukha Pharmaceutical, Safemed Injection by Ahad International, and Pulmowell syrup by Vital Phyto Pharma. 

These medicines and medical supplies were flagged due to impurities that could compromise their efficacy and safety.

Manufacturers have been directed to recall all affected batches immediately, while pharmacists, distributors, and chemists have been instructed to halt sales and quarantine existing stocks. 

Healthcare professionals, including doctors, pharmacists, and nurses, have also been advised against prescribing or administering the recalled products. Suppliers have been asked to provide details of their stock to local drug inspectors to facilitate the removal of contaminated medicines.

DRAP has warned that the use of these substandard products could result in therapy failure and serious health complications, particularly for immunocompromised individuals, children, and the elderly. 

The regulator has also launched a crackdown, instructing the National Regulatory Field Force (NRFF) and provincial drug control departments to take immediate action. The regulatory teams have been ordered to conduct market surveys to identify and remove the defective batches from pharmacies, medical stores, and healthcare facilities.

DRAP emphasized that strict regulatory action will be taken against non-compliance, urging all stakeholders to cooperate in ensuring the swift elimination of these products from the market to protect public health.