Peshawar: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will introduce five mobile drug testing laboratories next week to identify counterfeit, substandard and potentially unsafe medicines in markets across the province.
The laboratories, equipped with advanced screening technology, will allow drug inspectors to conduct preliminary quality checks at pharmacies and other locations without initially transporting samples to a central facility.
Adviser to the Governor on Health and Population, Lieutenant General (retd) Nigar Johar Khan, reviewed the newly equipped mobile laboratories during a visit to the Directorate General of Drug Control and Pharmacy Services on Friday.
Officials briefed her on the department's regulatory responsibilities, medicine quality monitoring and efforts to ensure the availability of safe medicines.
The five laboratory vans are scheduled to be formally inaugurated at Governor House on November 10.
Advanced technology for on site testing
The mobile laboratories are equipped with Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy technology, enabling inspectors to conduct preliminary analysis of medicines.
The equipment can help examine chemical composition, identify ingredients and assess whether medicines meet prescribed strength standards.
Officials said the technology would allow inspectors to screen medicines directly in markets, reducing reliance on laboratory based testing for initial checks.
If preliminary screening identifies suspicious or potentially substandard medicines, samples will be collected and sent to the Drug Testing Laboratory in Peshawar for detailed examination.
Any subsequent regulatory action will depend on the results of further testing.
Laboratories to operate across KP divisions
The five mobile laboratories will be deployed across different divisions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to strengthen medicine quality surveillance.
According to officials, the initiative will introduce on site medicine screening in provincial markets and improve the ability of drug inspectors to identify potentially unsafe pharmaceutical products.
Nigar Johar emphasised that ensuring access to safe and quality medicines was essential for protecting public health.
She said the mobile laboratories would help strengthen the province's drug regulatory system and improve monitoring of medicines available to consumers.
The authorities did not disclose the precise deployment locations, operational schedules or number of inspections planned for each laboratory.
The initiative is expected to begin following next week's inauguration, with detailed testing of suspicious samples continuing at the designated laboratory in Peshawar.
