Drug regulators: ‘Powerless body will be the end of us’

“Drap is retarding the pharmaceutical industry’s growths,” says PPMA Chairman

ISLAMABAD:

The pharmaceutical association has again urged the government to revamp the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) if it wants to save the industry.  

The Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA) has demanded the government to take immediate measures to fix Drap as the industry is facing immense hardships owing to its nonfunctioning.

“Drap, which is not headed by anyone at the moment, is retarding the pharmaceutical industry’s growths,” said PPMA Chairman Jawaid Akhai.

Instead of facilitating local pharmaceutical companies to increase
their exports, Drap is bent on taking decisions which are detrimental to investors in the pharmaceutical sector, a PPMA representative said.

The regulatory authority has recently imposed extra charges on drug exporters whereas it hiked various fees, 20 to 50 times in some cases, which discouraged exporters to continue their ventures to different countries due to the sudden surge of business cost, he informed.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 10^th, 2013.