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Regulatory Updates

Career Opportunities: Applications are invited for Various Positions in DRAP

Ijaz Mustafa Careers, General

The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) employs over 500 people from a range of educational backgrounds, who have the skills and experience to perform regulatory operational services under the DRAP Act 2012. These include professionals both technical (qualifications in medicine and pharmacy-related sciences, etc.) and non-technical (qualifications in law, information and communication technology, accounts, human resources management, etc.)

DRAP is mandated to provide effective coordination and enforcement of The Drugs Act, 1976, and harmonization of inter-provincial trade and commerce of therapeutic goods. Being the national regulatory body for therapeutic goods, DRAP performs various regulatory functions of therapeutic goods including licensing of establishments, product registrations/marketing authorizations, pharmacovigilance, post-market surveillance and market control, regulatory inspections, laboratory testing, clinical trials oversight and lot release of biologicals.

Details of Vacant Positions advertised are as below.

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Submission of Replies against Deferred Form-5/5A Applications of Human Drugs

Ijaz Mustafa General

In its 339th Meeting, convened from August 6-8, 2024, the Registration Board has issued a directive that all applicants should submit clarifications or replies for their deferred Form-5/5A applications by December 31, 2024. It is imperative to note that any submissions received after this deadline will not be considered, and will be be classified as disposed of, necessitating the submission of a new application on Form 5F.

This initiative is designed to enhance the efficiency of the registration process and ensure strict adherence to current regulatory standards. This directive is in accordance with the implementation of the Form 5F (CTD) format for drug registration, effective March 31, 2019, which requires that all applications be evaluated based on the updated Form 5F data guidelines.

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Caution Regarding Fake Emails Impersonating DRAP Officials

Yasir Mahmood General ,

It has come to our attention that some individuals are receiving fraudulent emails impersonating officials of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP). Please be advised that all official DRAP correspondence comes from email addresses ending with @dra.gov.pk.

Stakeholders and the public are urged to remain vigilant and verify the authenticity of any communication. If in doubt, kindly contact DRAP through official channels.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan

Switch over from Web Based One Customs (WEBOC) to Pakistan Single Window (PSW) for submission and issuance of all types Drug Import Licenses (DILs) and issuance of electronic release orders through PSW’s Single Declaration (SD) system.

Ijaz Mustafa General

We are pleased to announce that, effective October 8, 2024, the clearance of commercial imports (HC type) of all commodities (Drugs) requiring a Drug Import License (DIL) mandated by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) being imported at customs stations of Peshawar and Islamabad are being switched from WeBOC to PSW system. All the DRAP-related commodities (Drugs) will be completely shifted over to PSW, and clearance will be subject to the electronic issuance of a Release Order by DRAP through the filing of a Single Declaration (SD) on all customs stations located in Peshawar and Islamabad.

All traders/importers engaged in the import of these commodities falling under the purview of DRAP are informed to file Single Declaration (Imports) through PSW System for issuance of electronic Release Order from DRAP and Customs clearance of their import consignments w.e.f. 08th October 2024.

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National Pharmacovigilance Cell (NPC), DRAP released draft Guidelines on National Pharmacovigilance System (Edition 03) seeking comments from stakeholders

Asad Ullah Drugs, General, Pharmacovigilance

The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has set up the National Pharmacovigilance Centre (NPC) in Islamabad to oversee the safety of medicinal products nationwide. The NPC collaborates with national and international entities to establish an effective pharmacovigilance system in Pakistan. Since 2018, Pakistan has been a full member of the World Health Organization Programme for International Drug Monitoring (WHO-PIDM) based at the Uppsala Monitoring Centre (UMC) in Sweden.

The NPC has developed a multi-channel reporting system, including electronic and manual reporting forms available through website and mobile applications for healthcare professionals and the public. The Pharmacovigilance Rules, 2022, apply a legal obligation of all pharmacovigilance stakeholders to establish their system and report the pharmacovigilance data to NPC.

The 1st edition of these guidelines was drafted as per the draft Pharmacovigilance Rules and had chapters and sections for the guidance of healthcare professionals, patients and registration holders. Subsequently, the National Pharmacovigilance Centre (NPC) issued separate guidelines for the above pharmacovigilance stakeholders and also Pharmacovigilance Rules, 2022 were officially notified vide S.R.O 540 (I)/2022 dated 22nd April 2022. Therefore, the NPC-issued 2nd edition of guidelines with the title “Guidelines on the National Pharmacovigilance System” which were prepared in line with Pharmacovigilance Rules, 2022. All those sections /chapters for the guidance of the above stakeholders were removed and the WHO PV indicators were incorporated in Chapter 11 in the 2nd edition of the guideline. This 3rd edition of these guidelines has been drafted in light of WHO recommendations in the form of Institutional Development Plans (IDP) made during its assessment of the National Regulatory System of the DRAP. As per WHO recommendation and DRAP’s Authority decision, the PRAEC has now been given an advisory role in relation to signal management and risk assessment; whereas, the NPC has been mandated to perform signal management and risk assessment process and to make decisions in the context of risk minimization and recommendation of regulatory actions to concerned Boards and Committees of the DRAP.

These guidelines are uploaded on the official website of DRAP on the 16th of September, 2024 to seek comments and suggestions from stakeholders on the draft document. Stakeholders can submit their comments and suggestions within 15 days of uploading this document using the prescribed format. For further guidelines on submitting comments, visit the DRAP website or click here. Comments and suggestions can be forwarded via email to pv∂dra.gov.pk or can be posted at the mailing address, Director, Division of Pharmacy Services, Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, Prime Minister’s National Health Complex, Park Road, Islamabad.

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