The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has warned consumers against five batches of falsified medicines identified in Karachi, cautioning that the products may fail to treat medical conditions because their declared active ingredients were not detected in laboratory testing.
The affected products are Velosef 500mg capsules, Augmentin 625mg tablets, Nasomet nasal spray, No-Spa Forte 80mg tablets and Mucaine suspension. DRAP issued separate rapid alerts on October 19 and October 21, 2026, after government laboratories declared samples from the identified batches spurious or falsified.
In its October 21 official alert, DRAP said the Drug Testing Laboratory in Karachi found that samples from four batches lacked their declared active ingredients. The manufacturers named on the packaging disowned the samples.
A separate DRAP alert issued on October 19 identified a falsified batch of Nasomet nasal spray after laboratory testing failed to detect its declared active ingredient.
Five Medicine Batches Identified by DRAP
The authority identified the following products and batch numbers in its two notices.
- Velosef 500mg capsules — Batch LX3E. DRAP said the sample, labelled as a product of GlaxoSmithKline Pakistan, did not contain cephradine, its declared active ingredient.
- Augmentin 625mg tablets — Batch YT9D. The sample labelled as a GlaxoSmithKline Pakistan product lacked amoxicillin trihydrate and clavulanic acid, according to the laboratory findings.
- No-Spa Forte 80mg tablets — Batch AN010. DRAP reported that the sample, labelled as a product of Hoechst Pakistan, did not contain drotaverine hydrochloride.
- Mucaine suspension — Batch 257A088. The sample was also declared falsified in the October 21 alert. Consumers should refer to the product and batch details in the official notice.
- Nasomet aqueous nasal spray — Batch FW-099. In its October 19 alert, DRAP said the sample, labelled as a product of Sante, did not contain mometasone furoate.
These findings apply to the specified batches and samples. They should not be interpreted as a declaration that every pack sold under the same brand name is counterfeit.
Why the Fake Medicines Pose a Health Risk
DRAP warned that using the affected products could lead to treatment failure and put patients at risk because the medicines’ declared active ingredients were absent from the tested samples.
Velosef and Augmentin are antibiotics used to treat certain bacterial infections. Nasomet is a nasal spray containing mometasone furoate, a corticosteroid used for conditions such as allergic rhinitis. No-Spa Forte contains drotaverine, an antispasmodic medicine.
When a product does not contain the ingredient stated on its label, patients may not receive the intended treatment. This can allow an illness to persist or worsen and may delay appropriate medical care.
The alerts also raise concerns about the integrity of medicine supply chains. DRAP said the manufacturers had disowned the identified samples, meaning the products should not be assumed to have originated from the companies named on their packaging.
DRAP Orders Seizure and Market Surveillance
The authority directed its regulatory field force and provincial drug control departments to increase surveillance across the supply chain and confiscate the identified falsified products.
DRAP also advised healthcare professionals to check medicine stocks in pharmacies, hospitals and other healthcare facilities for the affected batches.
Consumers have been advised not to use the identified products and to contact a doctor or other qualified healthcare provider if they have experienced a problem after taking or using them. Suspected adverse events and medicine quality problems can be reported through DRAP’s official reporting information.
The authority further advises the public to obtain medicines from licensed pharmacies and authorised retail outlets and to consult a pharmacist or healthcare professional if a product’s authenticity is in doubt.
Consumers who have one of the listed batches should check the batch number against DRAP’s notices and seek professional advice about a safe replacement, rather than leaving a medical condition untreated.
