The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has begun stakeholder consultations in Islamabad on a DRAP medical devices policy — described by official sources as the country’s first national Medical Devices Policy. Healthcare experts, other regulators, and industry representatives were brought in at an early stage, according to those sources.
Officials said the work is meant to promote local manufacturing, strengthen regulation, and improve access to essential medical technologies. The preliminary consultation was held in line with the National Regulatory System Strategic Plan 2026–30, which sets a longer-term path for how Pakistan organises health-product oversight.
Who sat at the table
Participants included representatives of national organisations such as the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) — the body that oversees nuclear and radiation safety — and Connectech, alongside industry groups including the Pakistan Engineering and Medical Devices Association (PEMDA) and the Health Devices Association of Pakistan (HDAP). Local medical device manufacturers and contract research organisations (CROs), which run studies and related research services for industry, also joined the discussion.
The meeting focused on how to build a regulatory setting that makes domestic production more workable, and on promoting evidence-based decisions — meaning rules and approvals guided by clear data rather than ad hoc practice.
What the proposed policy is meant to do
Official sources said the proposed DRAP medical devices policy is intended to support the Made in Pakistan vision by encouraging local production, strengthening the medical technology sector, and reducing reliance on imported products. That framing matters for hospitals and clinics that depend heavily on foreign equipment, though no timeline or draft text was announced with the consultation.
DRAP also aims, they added, to shape a regulatory framework that supports healthcare innovation while improving patient access to essential and reliable medical technologies across the country. In practical terms, medical device regulation in Pakistan would sit under a clearer national policy once the process moves from consultation to a finished document — a step that has not yet been completed.
What happens next
For now, the story is the start of talks, not a finished law or a new fee schedule. Medical device manufacturers in Pakistan and other stakeholders will be watching whether later drafts spell out licensing, quality, and market rules in more detail. Until then, day-to-day oversight remains with DRAP under the arrangements already in force, while this first national policy is still being shaped through consultation.
Aasan alfaaz mein
DRAP Pakistan ki pehli medical devices policy banane ke liye experts aur industry se mashwara shuru kiya hai. Maqsad yeh hai ke mulk mein machines aur medical tools zyada banein, qawaneen mazboot hon, aur zaruri technology logon tak pahunche. Abhi yeh sirf mashwaray ka shuru hai, koi naya qanoon ya price change announce nahi hua. Aage jab policy clear hogi tab hospitals aur patients par asar zyada samajh aa sake ga.
