KARACHI/ISLAMABAD: The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has seized counterfeit medicines from well-known pharmaceutical brands in Karachi.
According to details, the drug inspectors confiscated the counterfeit stock after the pharmaceutical companies denied ownership of the sealed batches. The Drug Testing Laboratory later confirmed that the seized medicines were fake.
The concerned pharmaceutical companies have distanced themselves from the counterfeit batches. The head of the Drug Testing Laboratory has advised the public to avoid specific batches, including Neubrol Fort (Batch DB0982), Iodex HIAA, and Phenobar (Batch QA008), which have been identified as counterfeit.
Authorities have urged citizens to purchase medicines only from registered pharmacies to ensure safety and authenticity.
This is not the first instance of such action by DRAP. Earlier, the authority seized 11 counterfeit medicines across various cities in Punjab. The Punjab Drug Testing Laboratory confirmed these samples were counterfeit, leading DRAP to ban their sale and use. Recall alerts for the counterfeit products were issued following a request from the Punjab government.
The counterfeit medicines, sold under the names of various pharmaceutical brands, have raised serious public health concerns. DRAP has warned that using fake medicines could negatively impact treatment outcomes and urged the authorities to take measures to prevent their circulation.
