DRAP flags nine fake or unregistered medicines on sale in Karachi
The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan has issued a rapid alert over nine counterfeit, adulterated or unregistered products in Karachi's markets. Consumers are told not to use them.
For information only, not medical advice. Talk to a doctor about your own health.
- DRAP identified nine counterfeit, adulterated or unregistered products circulating in Karachi.
- The list includes four mouthwashes, two eye-care medicines, two ear creams and a skin lotion.
- Provincial drug control teams were told to seize the products and stop their circulation.
- Consumers are urged to buy only from licensed pharmacies.
The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has issued a rapid alert about nine counterfeit, adulterated or unregistered pharmaceutical products circulating in Karachi's markets, raising concerns about patient safety in the city.
According to Daily Pakistan, the products are marketed for eye infections, dental problems, skin conditions and ear pain, and some are intended for children. The suspicious items include four mouthwashes, two eye-care medicines, two ear creams and a skin lotion.
The warning follows laboratory examinations by the Drug Testing Laboratory Sindh, Karachi. The laboratory declared samples of the nine products adulterated, substandard, spurious or unregistered under Pakistan's drug laws. Daily Pakistan Urdu reported that lab tests did not confirm the salt content of the samples.
Named items in the alert include a Tobramycin ophthalmic solution, Vital Ear Cream, Baby Care Ear Cream and a skin medicine called Magic Lotion, batch 002, which were declared fake. Daily Pakistan Urdu also reported that a fake baby eye spray was among the seized items.
Seven of the questioned products carry manufacturing details of LC Care Pharma in Karachi, while Baby Care Ear Cream and Vital Ear Cream carry the name of New Herbal Care in Karachi. Daily Pakistan noted that manufacturer details on the packaging do not independently establish where the products actually came from.
DRAP directed provincial drug control authorities and field teams to step up surveillance across the pharmaceutical supply chain. Officials were instructed to identify and confiscate the affected products and stop them reaching consumers through distributors, pharmacies and medical stores. Distributors and medical stores were asked to report fake medicines immediately.
The authority said the quality and effectiveness of the substandard products are unclear and that using them is dangerous. Consumers have been advised not to use the identified products and to consult a doctor if they experience complications. They were also urged to buy medicines only from licensed pharmacies and authorised medical outlets.
Background
khabr.pk reported on 2 November that DRAP had issued alerts over counterfeit Influvac Tetra and Vaxigrip Tetra flu vaccines, which Abbott Laboratories and Sanofi Winthrop confirmed were not genuine.
Why it matters
Patients and parents in Karachi who buy eye, ear, skin and dental products from local markets may be exposed to items that are fake or substandard. Several of the flagged products are meant for children. Pharmacies and distributors in the city have been asked to report such items, and buyers are told to use only licensed outlets.
