Pakistan’s Healthcare Revolution: DRAP’s 2025 Digital Overhaul

In a landmark move to modernize Pakistan’s healthcare system, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has launched a sweeping reform initiative aimed at digitizing medical device licensing, enhancing transparency, and improving public access to quality healthcare.

Led by Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal, the 2025 reforms mark a pivotal shift toward a citizen-centric, innovation-driven regulatory framework. The newly introduced digital platform allows manufacturers to complete licensing procedures online, slashing approval times from years to just 20 days. This breakthrough eliminates bureaucratic delays and curbs corruption, making healthcare regulation more efficient and accessible.

DRAP’s strategic plan for 2022–2025 focuses on four core pillars:

• Optimized Regulatory System: Strengthening pharmacovigilance, antimicrobial monitoring, and international accreditation.
• Better Informed Users: Promoting safe use of therapeutic goods and improving public awareness through transparent communication.
• Universal Access to Health Products: Tackling shortages, regulating maximum retail prices, and ensuring supply chain integrity.
• Internal Capacity Building: Automating quality management systems, enhancing infrastructure, and achieving financial self-sufficiency.

The reforms also include the rollout of a QR and barcode verification system, empowering citizens to check the price and expiry date of medicines instantly. This initiative is expected to dramatically reduce counterfeit drugs and improve consumer safety.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hailed the digital licensing system as a cornerstone of national progress, emphasizing that healthcare reform is not only possible but essential. He called for unity and resilience, urging stakeholders to embrace transparency and merit-based governance.

With Pakistan’s population growing rapidly and public health challenges mounting—particularly from unsafe drinking water and inadequate sewage systems—DRAP’s reforms are a timely intervention. The expansion of telemedicine services and upcoming changes to medical and nursing councils further signal a comprehensive overhaul of the country’s healthcare infrastructure.

As Pakistan steps into a new era of health regulation, DRAP’s 2025 blueprint offers a promising path toward a healthier, more equitable future.