Pakistani Senators Concerned About Drug Quality and New Medical Exam Policies
A parliamentary committee in Islamabad, chaired by Senator Amir Waliuddin Chishti, expressed concerns about the quality of drugs produced in Pakistan, stating that they often do not meet international standards. This was discussed during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (SCNHSRC) at the Parliament House.
The meeting reviewed the performance of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) over the past five years. Key attendees included senators Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan, Syed Masroor Ahsan, Irfanul Haq Siddiqui, Mohammad Humayun Mohmand, and Fawzia Arshad, along with Secretary Nadeem Mahbub, Special Secretary Nasiruddin Mashood Ahmed, DRAP CEO Asim Rauf, and PMDC President Dr. Rizwan Taj.
DRAP’s CEO Asim Rauf highlighted the authority’s role in drug licensing, manufacturing, and quality regulation in Pakistan. The committee also discussed the presence of multinational pharmaceutical companies and rumors of their departure.
Senator Amir Waliuddin Chishti raised the issue of formula milk regulation. Rauf mentioned that formula milk companies had previously filed a lawsuit against DRAP’s regulatory scope, but the court ruled in favor of DRAP.
The committee also discussed a new policy for the National Registration Examination (NRE). PMDC President Rizwan Taj noted that the passing criteria for foreign medical students had been reduced from 70% to 60%, increasing the NRE passing rate from 4% to 40%.
Doubts Revealed
Senators -: Senators are important people in the government who help make laws and decisions for the country.
Drug Quality -: Drug quality means how good and safe the medicines are for people to use.
Medical Exam Policies -: Medical exam policies are rules about how doctors and medical students are tested to make sure they know what they need to know.
Parliamentary Committee -: A parliamentary committee is a group of people from the government who meet to talk about and solve important issues.
Islamabad -: Islamabad is the capital city of Pakistan, where the government does a lot of its work.
Senator Amir Waliuddin Chishti -: Senator Amir Waliuddin Chishti is a person who helps make laws in Pakistan and is leading the committee talking about drug quality.
International Standards -: International standards are rules that many countries agree on to make sure things like medicines are safe and good everywhere.
Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) -: DRAP is a group in Pakistan that makes sure medicines are safe and work well.
Formula Milk Regulation -: Formula milk regulation means making rules about how baby milk is made and sold to keep babies healthy.
National Registration Examination (NRE) -: The NRE is a big test that doctors and medical students take to show they know enough to work as doctors.
Passing Criteria -: Passing criteria are the rules about what score you need to get on a test to pass it.
Foreign Medical Students -: Foreign medical students are people from other countries who come to study medicine in Pakistan.