Islamabad-The Drug Regularity Authority of Pakistan has started digital listing of the registered drugs to maintain updated data.
The statement issued by DRAP here Friday stated that around sixty thousand medicines would be registered and uploaded on the official website of the authority.
The statement said the process of computerisation has been initiated for the first time therefore the record is being under continuous verification and scrutiny. The Authority has mentioned a disclaimer that clarified that the information cannot be used for any legal reference or to be used for any other purpose.
It also invites stakeholders to review information related to their products and are directed to contact the division in case of any discrepancy and check for the updates and provide reference for further verification against the DRAP record, before the Authority finalises and declare this information.
Spokesperson DRAP Sajid Hussain Shah said that the information of the digital list has mainly comprised registration number, proprietary/ brand name, generics name with composition, name of manufacturer and/or importer etc.
He said Drug Act 1976 requires pharmaceutical companies that manufacture, import or export in or out of the country for commercial use to be registered prior to availability in the market. The Drug Registration Board processes and approves the applications for registration of drugs according to the procedure laid down in the LRA (Licensing, Registering & Advertising) Rules 1976.
The availability of online database containing updated information of registered drugs will help federal and provincial regulators determine products that are being marketed have been approved from the Drug Registration Board and are with legitimate status.
This will ensure quality drugs from licenced manufactures/ importers in the market and will also help address the problems of drug shortages and availability. Online access to this database will strengthen regulatory system and monitoring in order to eradicate unregistered, substandard, spurious, falsified and counterfeit drug products from the country.
Division of Pharmaceutical Evaluation & Registration, DRAP completing free the process of digital listing of all registered drugs and in this aspect a provisional database has been uploaded on the official website of DRAP.
The Authority has initiated the process early in this year for computerisation of decades old manual drug registration record since 1976. The efforts have been made with the aim to maintain latest updated data regarding drug products having valid registration, for the information of all stakeholders and healthcare professionals.
The spokesperson said the link available on the DRAP’s website open a draft list of registered drugs which is sourced to database that contain information of drugs registered by Registration Board.