KARACHI: A major health alert has been issued after the Sindh Drug Testing Laboratory declared nine drugs used in cancer treatment as substandard, fake, and unregistered, posing severe health risks to oncology patients across the province.
Speaking via telephone, Director of the Sindh Drug Testing Laboratory, Syed Adnan Rizvi, confirmed that relevant regulatory and enforcement institutions have already initiated action based on the laboratory’s findings.
According to Rizvi, laboratory analyses revealed critical deficiencies in the seized samples. Several tested cancer medications lacked the essential active pharmaceutical ingredients required for effective treatment. Furthermore, a number of the drugs failed to display a valid registration number from the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), indicating they were circulating unlawfully in the market.
Rizvi also raised concerns regarding problematic prescription practices within the healthcare sector. He noted that many oncologists explicitly write the names of specific pharmacies on their prescriptions, effectively forcing vulnerable patients to purchase their life-saving medications exclusively from those targeted outlets.
Issuing a stern warning, the Director emphasized the grave danger these compromised medications present to public health.
Authorities are expected to expand inspections and enforce stricter compliance across retail and hospital pharmacies to curb the distribution of illicit pharmaceuticals.
