Central Drug Testing Lab will be upgraded soon: CEO - DRAP

Chief Executive Drug Regulatory Authority Pakistan (DRAP) - Dr Muhammad Aslam said Central Drug Testing Laboratory (CDTL) would be up-graded soon as par international standard and this step will open doors for Pakistani medicines to get access to the international market.

He shared these views while addressing the media persons during a reception ceremony organized in the honor of Central President Pakistan Pharmacist Association - Syed Kalbe Hasan Rizvi. Representatives of World Health Organization (WHO) - Emma Hancox, Maryam Qaiser and Director of DRAP - AQ Jawaid Iqbal, were also present on this occasion.

He said, The incumbent federal government is pursuing a reforms policy to provide quality medicines to general public as per their purchasing power. Permanent tool manufacturing policy would be enforced within few weeks. He said low and high prices of medicines involve corruption.  

Dr Aslam said: The drug manufacturing process has been passing through a historical phase in the country, after properly making DRA functional. He informed that central government in collaboration with all stakeholders are striving hard to introduce a uniform policy in international drug manufacturing.

He said: It is the first time in Pakistan, that medicines prices have been frozen till 30 January 2016. The government could not want to destroy the pharmaceutical companies business, but trying to improve their standards. Federal government has introduced a policy that; no new medicines will be registered in future, until comparison of the drug prices with India and Bangladesh. 

Government had also inked the annual increase in drug prices, with International Comparison Program (ICP) and inflation. Under this procedure, the drug prices could not increase above 4 percent. He said this decision would help remove the unnecessary hindrance, bringing new medicines in the market and also ensure the availability of drugs.