DRAP and Provincial Authorities Join Forces to Strengthen Medicine Safety in Pakistan
The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) and provincial drug control authorities have completed a three-day workshop aimed at improving market surveillance, strengthening regulatory coordination and ensuring the quality of medical products across the country.
The workshop brought together regulatory officials from federal, provincial and state administrations to discuss better monitoring practices, risk-based sampling and the use of digital systems to improve oversight of medicines and other medical products.
With technical support from the World Health Organization (WHO), the initiative seeks to establish a more coordinated approach to regulating medical products and protecting public health in Pakistan.
Workshop Focuses on Modern Regulatory Systems
The three-day workshop covered several key areas, including risk-based sampling, market surveillance, the Market Control Dashboard and Electronic Quality Management Systems (eQMS).
Participants shared their experiences and discussed ways to improve their technical capabilities, strengthen monitoring procedures and make regulatory decisions more effective.
Risk-based sampling allows authorities to prioritize products and areas that may require closer inspection. This approach can help regulators identify potential quality issues and use their resources more efficiently.
The workshop also highlighted the role of digital tools in improving data management, information-sharing and coordination between regulatory bodies.
Efforts to Prevent Substandard and Fake Medicines
One of the major objectives of the initiative is to strengthen efforts against the circulation of substandard and falsified medical products.
Such products can pose serious risks to patients and undermine confidence in the healthcare system. Effective market surveillance and timely regulatory action are therefore essential to maintaining the safety and quality of medicines available to the public.
Participants emphasized the importance of closer cooperation between federal and provincial authorities to identify potential risks, share information and respond promptly to emerging product safety concerns.
Digital Technology to Improve Market Monitoring
The adoption of Electronic Quality Management Systems and improved market surveillance tools is expected to support more efficient regulatory operations.
Digital systems can help authorities manage quality-related information, improve documentation and coordinate regulatory activities more effectively. Better access to reliable data can also support timely decisions when potential safety concerns arise.
Officials discussed the need to strengthen the use of these systems to improve transparency, streamline regulatory processes and enhance coordination across different jurisdictions.
DRAP Reaffirms Commitment to Public Health
The workshop forms part of broader efforts to develop a stronger and more responsive National Regulatory System in Pakistan.
DRAP and its provincial and state counterparts reaffirmed their commitment to improving regulatory performance, strengthening cooperation and ensuring that medical products available in the country meet established standards of safety, efficacy and quality.
Through coordinated surveillance, improved technical training and wider use of digital tools, the authorities aim to strengthen oversight of medical products and protect patients across Pakistan.
The initiative reflects the importance of a unified regulatory approach in ensuring access to safe, effective and quality-assured medical products throughout the country.
