Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is set to strengthen its medicine monitoring system with five mobile drug-testing laboratories, which will begin operating next week.

The vans are designed to let drug inspectors screen medicines sold in markets across the province for quality problems, including substandard and counterfeit products. They carry Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy equipment, which allows inspectors to carry out preliminary tests on site.

Adviser to the Governor on Health and Population Nigar Johar Khan inspected the newly equipped laboratory vans on Friday during a visit to the Directorate General of Drug Control and Pharmacy Services. According to officials, the five laboratories will be formally inaugurated at the Governor House next Tuesday.

On-the-spot screening, then laboratory checks

Authorities plan to deploy the mobile laboratories across different divisions of the province so inspectors can test medicines in local markets and other locations. If preliminary screening flags a suspicious or substandard product, inspectors will collect samples and send them to the Drug Testing Laboratory in Peshawar for detailed analysis and further action.

The move is part of a wider effort to tighten oversight of medicines in the province, where counterfeit and substandard drugs remain a persistent concern for patients and health authorities.