Islamabad/Karachi, January 5,2026: Nationwide action continues against the circulation of fake medicines in Pakistan. The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has issued rapid alerts for three batches of counterfeit drugs and imposed an immediate ban on their sale and use after detecting fake stomach and pain-relief medications from Karachi and Punjab.
According to DRAP, the Central Drug Laboratory Karachi and the Drug Testing Laboratory (DTL) Punjab tested various medicines and declared them counterfeit. The Central Drug Laboratory Karachi identified a pain-relief tablet, Pain Null, as fake. The tablet (Batch No. 091), produced by Leo Healthcare Lab Karachi, was found counterfeit, while another tablet, Taskeen-e-Dard, was also illegally manufactured by the same lab.
Similarly, Hakim Purana Dawakhana Karachi produced Pain Nil tablets (Batch No. 01) illegally, which were also declared fake. DRAP confirmed that neither Leo Healthcare Lab nor Purana Dawakhana Karachi possesses a pharmaceutical manufacturing license, and both were illegally producing and supplying medicines.
In addition, DRAP declared a batch of the popular stomach medicine Duphalac Syrup (Batch No. 251986) as counterfeit. The Drug Testing Laboratory Punjab reported that the batch was fake, although its label displayed the address of multinational Abbott Pharma Canada. The local manufacturer, High Noon Pharma, has denied any involvement with the affected batch.
DRAP’s rapid alerts warned that using counterfeit medicines, including the fake Duphaleck Syrup, could be life-threatening. The quality of such medicines is uncertain, their effectiveness cannot be guaranteed, and improper treatment may result.
The authority has instructed its regulatory teams to increase nationwide market surveillance, identify suppliers of counterfeit drugs, and immediately confiscate fake batches from markets. Distributors and medical stores have been urged to promptly report the presence of fake medicines to protect public health
