Pharma watchdog: Inactive drug regulatory agency upsets industry

KARACHI:

The inaction of the Drug Regulatory Agency of Pakistan (DRAP) has severely affected the pharmaceutical industry, which has invested tens of millions of rupees in registration fee and manufacturing facilities, says the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Association.

Not only major works have been affected, the day-to-day work is also not being carried out. DRAP has not even issued minutes of the last meeting of the Drugs Registration Board, which was held on June 15, according to the statement.

The government has not yet passed the Drug Regulatory Agency bill to make it an Act, PPMA Chairman Zahid Saeed told The Express Tribune. “If the DRA bill lapses, the industry will suffer,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 17^th, 2012.