A high-level meeting was held under the chairmanship of Federal Minister for National Health Services Syed Mustafa Kamal with the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA) at the Ministry of National Health Services.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The meeting was attended by the Secretary Health, Special Secretary Health, the Chief Executive Officer of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), and other senior officials of the Ministry, alongside representatives of the pharmaceutical industry.
Key issues related to drug quality, transparency, and availability were discussed in detail. Deliberations covered the implementation of bioequivalence, compliance with PIC/S requirements, the 2-D barcode under the Track & Trace system, delays in product registration, new molecules, API-related challenges, and deregulation.
The meeting reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving quality, availability, and affordability of medicines through closer coordination, mutual consultation, and phased regulatory reforms in collaboration with the pharmaceutical industry.
Among the participants were representatives of the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA), including Dr. Tahir Azam, Chairman PPMA, Usman Shaukat, Chairman North PPMA, as well as the President of the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
The discussion also highlighted the supportive role of international health partners, including the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Government of Pakistan.