Pakistani Pharma Firm Earns PIC/S Recognition for Sterile Drug Manufacturing
A Pakistan-based pharmaceutical firm has become the first in the country to receive recognition from the Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme (PIC/S) for the manufacture of sterile products, including injections and eye drops, meeting globally benchmarked Good Manufacturing Practice standards. The milestone marks a landmark advancement for Pakistan's pharmaceutical export credibility.
PIC/S recognition is among the most rigorous international accreditation standards for drug manufacturing and is a prerequisite for accessing regulated markets in Europe, North America, and other advanced economies. The firm's achievement is expected to open direct export pathways that were previously inaccessible to Pakistani manufacturers.
Industry representatives have described the development as a transformational signal for the broader pharmaceutical sector, which has long been constrained in its export ambitions by the absence of internationally recognised quality certifications. Pakistan's pharmaceutical industry currently exports primarily to developing and frontier markets.
The recognition aligns with the government's stated objective of expanding high-value industrial exports and reducing the trade deficit through value-added manufacturing. Health regulatory authorities are expected to use the achievement as a benchmark to push for sector-wide quality upgrades.
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