Daily Times

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza on Tuesday chaired a high-level meeting for development and introduction of automated system of data integration for drugs and their manufacturers.

The SAPM congratulated DRAP on the landmark achievement and emphasized on the need of strict compliance to the essentials of good governance, including accountability, transparency, efficiency and stakeholders engagement. “This is the finest example of use of modern technology by using information management systems to ensure transparency,” he said. “The Pakistan Integrated Regulatory Information Management System (PIRIMS) deployment will streamline the requirements, procedures, and assessment by DRAP officers in order to ensure that timelines are followed in a conspicuous manner,” he added.

DRAP CEO Asim Rauf said his organisation is moving towards a transparent environment. “In order to curtail any type of deviation from standard procedures, the PIRIMS has been implemented with clear timelines,” he said, adding that the system does not allow any discretion. “Real time reports of onsite inspections and assessments performed by our officers will become a part of the management system for future references. PIRIMS will help DRAP attain status of World Health Organization (WHO) listed authority which requires clarity and transparency in every function,” he said.

A DRAP spokesperson said the PIRIMS has been deployed for switching towards a paperless working environment. The automated management system integrates licensing, registration, inspections and vigilance activities and provides a platform to the pharmaceutical industry for submission of applications, regulatory correspondence and feedback/complaint mechanism to address problems faced by the applicants. On the software, DRAP’s officers will be able to transparently view, assess and process various matters related to registration of drugs, licensing of pharmaceutical units and inspection activities. The procedures on the software follow strict protocols to ensure timelines of SOPs are met by the officers.