Islamabad: Pakistan’s pharmaceutical and medical device exports have surged by 34 percent following wide ranging regulatory reforms by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, a development officials say is strengthening the economy while improving patient access to modern and life-saving treatments.
In a report released on Thursday, DRAP attributed the export growth to greater transparency, faster approvals and a sharp reduction in bureaucratic delays across registration and certification processes.
The authority said the reforms had also translated into billions of rupees in savings, with direct benefits flowing to patients and the wider health system.
Officials said DRAP has already digitised nearly 70 percent of its regulatory operations and is on track to achieve full digitisation by March 2026. Systems such as the Online Medical Devices Registration System and the e Office have reduced human intervention, cut errors and significantly improved turnaround times.
As part of export facilitation, DRAP has slashed timelines across the board. Export registration for medicines has been reduced from 60 days to just 10 days, while key certificates including the Free Sale Certificate and Certificate of Pharmaceutical Product will now be issued within five days instead of a month. Registration timelines for medical devices have also been brought down to around 20 days.
The authority described the rise in exports as a positive signal for the national economy and said efforts were underway to make Pakistan self sufficient in pharmaceuticals. These include plans for a one window facility for investors and measures to attract both domestic and foreign investment into the sector.
According to the government’s business review platform business.gov.pk, DRAP’s reforms have simplified regulatory processes and made them more predictable for manufacturers and exporters. A fast track approval mechanism has also been introduced for new therapies and cancer treatment products, reducing approval time to three months.
On the quality front, DRAP said a national network of quality control laboratories has been established, while a draft national vaccine policy has been prepared. Work is also in progress on a roadmap for local production of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients, a key step towards reducing import dependence.
Provincial drug testing laboratories have been certified to ISO 17025 standards, with further alignment underway with benchmarks set by the World Health Organization. Officials said these measures were essential to building international confidence in Pakistani pharmaceutical exports.
Reaffirming its commitment to continued reform, DRAP said it would further strengthen transparency and efficiency in registration and approval systems. In recognition of these efforts, the authority received the Reform Champion Award from Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif in December 2025.
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