This issue was brought up during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination, chaired by Senator Amir Waliuddin Chishti at the Parliament House.
In response to the committee’s concerns about medicine quality, Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) officials highlighted a recent lawsuit against GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for producing substandard drugs.
The committee also questioned the presence of multinational pharmaceutical companies in Pakistan and addressed rumors about their potential departure.
In response, DRAP officials confirmed that 30 multinational pharmaceutical companies are still active in Pakistan. They added that no companies have left the market, though there have been several mergers.
The Senate committee also examined the updated policy for the National Registration Examination (NRE). Dr. Rizwan Taj, President of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), reported that the passing criteria for foreign medical students had been reduced from 70% to 60%.
This change has boosted the NRE passing rate from 4% to 40%. Moreover, National Health Services Secretary Nadeem Mahbub updated the committee on staffing in federal hospitals, revealing that 500 doctors were appointed between 2018 and 2023.
