ISLAMABAD: Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has asked the authorities concerned to take necessary measures for promoting generic prescriptions of medicines and discourage the practice of incentivized prescription in the best interest of the patients.

According to an official of DRAP, the authorities had been asked that this practice added to the economic burden of the country and also put a financial load on patients due to the purchase of the pricier brands while such practice was also against the code of ethics for medical and dental practitioners.

The official said that as a national regulatory body, DRAP ensured access to safe, quality, and efficacious therapeutic goods at affordable prices in the country.

The early availability of new treatment opportunities for the people of Pakistan in accordance with international practices of safety, quality, and efficacy, was the key responsibility of the state, he added.

He said that DRAP was on the way to become a world-class regulatory organization at par with international standards and best practices, through effective management strategies for implementation of regulations and their enforcement throughout the country.

He said that DRAP was adopting the globally harmonized science-based standards for the evaluation, registration, and monitoring of safety, quality, and efficacy of therapeutic goods.

He said that the harmonization of regulatory standards would improve the acceptance of products in international markets, enhance product quality, and would ultimately promote public health.

He said that the authority was established in 2012 enacted under DRAP ACT, 2012. The authority is mandated for effective coordination and enforcement of the Drugs Act, 1976 to regulate, manufacture, import, export, storage, distribution, and sale of therapeutic goods in the country.