Check Dexamethasone, Ketorolac and Paracetamol Injections Against DRAP Recall Alert 35 in Pakistan

Short answer: DRAP Recall Alert 35, dated 18 June 2026, named 11 drug products that Punjab drug testing laboratories found substandard or adulterated. Five of them are not covered elsewhere: Kamedex 1 ml injection (batch DX-2642), Premvil 1 g/100 ml infusion (PNO-2510), Cara-Lac 30 mg injection (25G022), Zyocain 2% gel (008) and Gammaraas 2.5 g (202311G042). If you hold one of these batches, stop using it.

A nurse hands you a small glass ampoule and says it will bring the pain down in minutes. Most of us never read the batch number on it. That small line of letters and digits is the only way to tell a safe pack from a recalled one.

We read DRAP Recall Alert No. I/S/06-26-35 on the DRAP website on 14 October 2026. The alert lists 11 products. Six of them are Neocobal, Murcobal, Brzole, Metrorise and two sterile water injections, and we have already covered those in our checks of vitamin B12 injections and of IV drips and sterile water. This page covers the other five.

Five batches from Alert 35 are covered here

DRAP says Drug Testing Laboratories Punjab declared these batches substandard or adulterated. The five here are a dexamethasone injection, a paracetamol drip, a ketorolac injection, a lignocaine gel and an immune globulin injection. Only the listed batches are named.

Match the batch number printed on your pack to this list. A different batch of the same brand is not named in the alert.

The alert also names the makers. Kamedex is listed under Amaan Pharma of Lahore, Premvil under Ahad International Pharmaceutical of Dera Ismail Khan, Cara-Lac under Caraway Pharmaceuticals of Rawat, and Zyocain under PharmaWise Labs of Lahore. Gammaraas is listed as imported and distributed by Popular International of Karachi.

Each failed test can mean a different risk

DRAP says the products failed tests for sterility, assay, impurities or visible particles, and that use could cause treatment failure, serious infection or other harm. The risk depends on the failure: a weak steroid may not work, while a non-sterile product can cause infection.

Take Kamedex first. Dexamethasone is a steroid used for swelling and allergic reactions. DRAP says this batch held much less of the drug than the label claims, so the dose a patient gets may be too small to help.

The Premvil paracetamol drip failed for visible particles. Particles in a drip that goes into a vein are a clear quality failure. Do not let a clinic hang a bag that looks cloudy or has specks, whatever the batch.

Zyocain gel and Gammaraas failed sterility. Sterility means free of living germs. A gel put on skin or a mucous surface and an injection into the body both need to be germ free.

Cara-Lac failed for organic impurities, which are unwanted chemical traces. DRAP gives no more detail, so we cannot say how large the traces were.

Checking your pack takes about two minutes

Find the batch number on the carton and on the ampoule or bottle itself. Compare it with the table. If it matches, stop using the product and keep the pack. Ask the pharmacy or clinic for a return or replacement.

1. Pick up the pack and read the batch number, often marked B.No. or Batch.
2. Match both the brand and the batch to the table above.
3. If it matches, stop using it. Do not finish the course "to be safe".
4. Photograph the pack, the batch and the receipt, and keep the pack.
5. Take it back to the seller and ask for a return or replacement, as DRAP instructs.
6. Report it. See how to report a medicine side effect to DRAP if you were harmed.

If you already had an injection from a listed batch and feel unwell, see a doctor and take the pack. Do not wait to see whether symptoms settle.

Pharmacies and clinics have their own orders

DRAP tells distributors and pharmacies to stop selling the listed batches, check stock, quarantine what is left and return it to the supplier. Healthcare workers are asked to report quality problems to the National Pharmacovigilance Centre. Patients can ask the clinic which batch it used.

You have every right to ask. A good clinic will show you the ampoule before it is opened. A good pharmacist will read the batch back to you.

If a pharmacy still sells a listed batch after the alert, that is worth reporting. Our guide to checking whether a medicine batch has been recalled shows where DRAP posts alerts, and reporting counterfeit medicine covers the next step.

DRAP also advises buying medicines only from licensed pharmacies and asking the pharmacist when in doubt. We could not confirm from the alert whether the listed batches are still on shelves today. A recall alert does not prove every pack has been removed.

Other products can still be unsafe

The alert covers only the batches tested. DRAP posts new recall and safety alerts often, so a clean result here does not mean a product is safe for ever. Check each new batch you buy, especially injections and drips that go straight into the body.

Alert 35 is one of more than 35 recall alerts DRAP has numbered this year. Its list of substandard products grows as laboratories finish testing. Many alerts concern injections, because sterility failures are the most serious.

It helps to know what a legitimate product looks like. Our guide on how to check a medicine is registered with DRAP explains the registration number, and checking the syringe at a clinic covers the device side.

Keep the pack and receipt of any injection for a few weeks. If an alert comes later, you can match the batch.

Common questions

Is every Kamedex injection recalled?

No. DRAP names only batch DX-2642. Other batches are not in the alert, but ask the seller to show you the batch before you use it.

What does adulterated mean in this alert?

DRAP uses it under the Drugs Act 1976 for a product whose content does not match its label. For Kamedex, the dexamethasone level was far below the labelled amount.

Can I get a refund for a listed batch?

DRAP tells consumers to contact the supplier or company for a return or replacement. We did not find a refund rule in the alert, so ask the seller in writing.

Where do I report a medicine quality problem?

Use the Safety Reporting page on the DRAP website, or call the DRAP line on 0800-03727, open Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm.

Do the other six products in the alert matter?

Yes, if you hold Neocobal, Murcobal, Brzole, Metrorise or a sterile water injection from the listed batches. Those are covered in the two linked pages above.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked on 14 October 2026, Pakistan time. We read DRAP Recall Alert No. I/S/06-26-35 on the DRAP website and took every batch number, reason and instruction from it. The alert does not say how many packs were sold or whether the batches have been removed from shelves, and we could not confirm either. DRAP says its public line is 0800-03727.