Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination
Registration Board in 320th meeting held on 29th – 31st August 2022 has issued a direction with regards to the applications received on Form 5 / 5-D for registration of pharmaceutical drugs, which requires submission of stability study data for further processing. The list of such applications is available on official website of DRAP (link).
The decision of Registration Board is notified and attached hereunder for information and compliance by all relevant stakeholders.
Availability of essential medicines is one of the essential building blocks of healthcare system. Essential medicines are those which satisfy the primary healthcare need of the population. These are intended to be available within the context of functioning of health system at all times, in adequate amounts, in the appropriate dosage form with assured quality, and at a price that the individual and community can afford.
Careful selection of a limited range of essential medicines of high quality can provide better management towards judicious use of health resources.
National standard treatment guidelines navigate selection of essential medicine with the expectation to ensure their availability with reference to proper use of medicine within the healthcare system while reducing its cost.
National Essential Medicine List NEML is a critical document which provides and supports quality of health services across the country. The list is based on disease prevalence, evidence on efficacy and safety, and comparative cost-effectiveness and parameters adapted by W.H.O in its latest edition of Model List of Essential Medicines.
Health sector in general and Pharmaceutical sector in particular is expected to seriously consider adopting this list as a way forward to guide Provincial Governments in Medicine & Pharmaceutical sector policies, the determinants of medicines access and availability. The Provincial Governments can play a pivotal role to encourage procurement and supply chain management policies based on essential medicine concepts to promote rational use of scarce public resources. Drug Regulatory Authority is committed to make all efforts to improve patient care through availability of cost efficacious, safe & quality medicines availability in the country.
The current version, updated in October 2023 is based on the 23rd WHO Model List of Essential Medicines List (MLEM).
National Essential Medicine List-2023
English ( 47.8 MB – PDF)
National Essential Medicine List-2021
English ( 10.8 MB – PDF)
National Essential Medicine List-2020
English ( 55 MB – PDF)
National Essential Medicine List-2018
English ( 15 MB – PDF)
National Essential Medicine List-2016
English ( 39 MB – PDF)
Policy Board of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has given policy guidelines for inspections of manufacturers keeping in view the suggestions/guidelines of WHO for reliance on other regulatory authorities. Accordingly, the revised “Policy for inspections of manufacturers abroad” as approved by the Policy Board under Section 11 (I) (a) of the DRAP Act, 2012, as under:-
Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) , in pursuance to the enactment of Pharmacovigilance Rules, 2022 has notified the National Pharmacovigilance Centre, with the aim to further enhance the Pharmacovigilance activities includes collecting, analyzing, monitoring, and preventing adverse effects in the therapeutic goods.
DRAP also encourages all healthcare professionals to establish the practices of pharmacovigilance in the country as they have pivotal role in monitoring the safety and efficacy of therapeutic goods, particularly for newly-marketed product.
The Authority, under Rule 3(1) read with Rule 3 (2) of the Pharmacovigilance Rules, 2022, notified the National Pharmacovigilance Centre under the Division of Pharmacy Services, DRAP.
The safe use of drugs, vaccines, medical devices and other therapeutic goods medicines is the most important criteria for DRAP to protect the public health and integrity of national healthcare system. Pharmacovigilance is the mechanisms to map and ensure the safety of therapeutic goods throughout their life span – from clinical trials to patient or consumer.
The importance of Pharmacovigilance is increased further in the current era due to arrival of novel of biopharmaceutical products and innovative technologies in healthcare practices.
National Pharmacovigilance Center (NPC) is working at DRAP and Pakistan is a full member of the WHO Programme for International Drug Monitoring.
Two Provincial Pharmacovigilance Centres in Punjab and Islamabad are also working in addition to a Centre of EPI (immunization programme), collecting ADR data and collaborating with the National Centre. National Pharmacovigilance Centre (NPC) has also established a Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Expert Committee (PRAEC).
NPC is Coordinating with other provinces/administrative territories, PHPs for establishment of their PV centers and also communicating with manufacture and importers of therapeutic goods for establishment of their pharmacovigilance system and reporting of ADRs to DRAP.
NPC has also published various documents and Guidelines for Stakeholders on pharmacovigilance activities, including :-
