F.P. Report
LAHORE: Pakistan Drugs Testing & Research Center (PDTRC) which was founded in 2015 to test and research drugs in order to control fake drugs in the market was handed over to the Health Department, Govt of Punjab by Punjab Industrial Estates Development & Management company. The minister for Industries, Commerce, Investment & skill development Mian Aslam Iqbal signed an agreement of handing over the reins of the Center to Minister of Health Dr. Yasmin Rashid. PDTRC is a certified ISO 17025:2015 laboratory. It has also cleared two audits of pre- qualification of World Health Organization.
At this occasion Chairman Punjab Industrial Estates Development and Management Company Mr. Shoaib Zahid Malik said that the state of the art drug testing facility has worked tirelessly to provide common man safe and quality medicines.
He added that this research center has helped in increasing pharmaceutical exports by collaborating and strengthening its relationship with other international standard laboratories.
At the handing over ceremony Minister for Industries, Commerce, Investment & Skill Development Mian Aslam Iqbal said that the PTI government is not only working to provide the masses with quality medicine but is also working towards abolishing substandard and fake medicines from the market. For this purpose, a record budget and funding will be announced in the near future. He said that under the leadership of our Prime Minister Imran Khan a lot of work is being done to promote health and education.
He added that in the past hundreds of innocent lives were lost due to these substandard and fake drugs, however the present government will not let this happen anymore and strict action will be taken against the perpetrators. Minister for health Dr. Yasmin Rashid assured that after coming under the health department this facility will further flourish and all efforts will be made to upgrade this research facility and make it stronger and more efficient for serving the common man. She said pharmaceutical industries within industrial estates would be given priority for Bio-equivalence & medicine tests.
