Ombudsman forms committee: Laboratory planned to test medicines efficacy, reaction

Ombudsman sets up panel to recommend establishment of bio-equivalence centre

ISLAMABAD: The ombudsman office has proposed setting up a laboratory in the country to test generic drugs and efficacy of the dose in the medicines and reaction on patients.

Presently, medicines are sent to labs in foreign countries for assessment which wastes time and foreign exchange too.

The Wafaqi Mohtasib Syed Tahir Shahbaz has constituted a 10-member committee to study and formulate recommendations for establishing Bio-Equivalence and Bio-Availability Laboratory (BEBA).

Shahbaz said the office of mohtasib had been receiving complaints from general public regarding lack of the facility.

Taking cognisance of the situation he has taken the initiative for setting up of an internationally recognised Bio Equivalence Centre which does not exist at present in the country.

The facility when established would be providing correct assessment of the impact of various drugs, produced in the country, on user patients.

This technically sophisticated facility would be first of its kind in the country for ensuring availability of quality medicines to the people, besides providing help to various pharmaceutical laboratories in determining the required effectiveness of various drugs produced by them.

Currently, for such assessments, drugs are sent to laboratories abroad, which drains out considerable foreign exchange of the country.



The committee is headed by former Surgeon General of Pakistan Army Asif Mumtaz Sukhera and includes ex-CEO Drap Aslam Afghani, US Aid’s Dr Khalid Saeed Bukhari, expert of herbal medicine Dr Zabita Khan Shinwari of PTPMA, Hilton Pharma Chairman Sardar Muhammad Yasin, WHO Expert and PCSIR Chairman Dr Sultan Ghani, besides senior government functionaries of relevant ministries. Wafaqi Mohtasib Adviser Dr Khalid Ranjha will act as secretary to the committee.

The committee would examine the existing facilities of BEBA within the country and abroad and recommend setting up a Bio Equivalence Centre as per WHO guidelines. It would also recommend good clinical and lab practices in the country. The committee would also determine qualification, experience and skill of professionals be hired for the BEBA from national and international available talents. The committee would submit its report within two months from the date of its constitution.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 16^th, 2018.