How to Check a Herbal, Homeopathic or Unani Product Is Enlisted With DRAP in Pakistan

Herbal, homeopathic, Unani and nutraceutical products in Pakistan are enlisted with DRAP, not registered like tablets and syrups, and a product appearing on one of DRAP's enlistment application lists is not proof that it was approved. Read the company details on the pack, ask the seller for the maker's full name, and call DRAP on 0800-03727 if you want it confirmed.

Walk down any bazaar and you will see jars of herbal powders, honey mixtures, "natural" capsules and tonics promising to fix the sugar, the joints or the skin. Some are made by proper firms. Some are made in a back room. DRAP, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, has a system for the first kind. We read DRAP's alternative medicine pages on 22 October 2026 to set out what that system is. This is not medical advice.

DRAP calls these products alternative medicines and health products

The category covers indigenous or Unani medicine, homeopathic medicines, herbal preparations and substances, herbal proprietary medicines, and phyto-medicines. DRAP says they come from plant, animal or mineral ingredients and contain no chemically defined synthetic ingredients. Health products cover food supplements, nutritional products and dietetic foods for infants.

DRAP also states they are not an alternative to the drugs a doctor prescribes. That line is worth keeping in mind before stopping any prescribed medicine. Speak to your doctor first.

These products are enlisted under 2014 rules, which is different from registration

The page describes enlistment only. Local manufacturers and importers must be enlisted, and so must their products, under the Alternative Medicines and Health Products (Enlistment) Rules, 2014. The page does not explain how enlistment differs from the registration given to pharmaceutical drugs.

Pharmaceutical medicines have a separate public list; see how to check whether a medicine is registered with DRAP. Do not assume a herbal product will show up there.

A manufacturer goes through three checks before a product is enlisted

For a local manufacturer, DRAP lists three phases: site verification of the premises, approval of the layout plan, and final inspection of the manufacturing and testing facilities, which leads to a provisional enlistment certificate on Form-6. Importers apply on Form-2.

Products are then submitted on their own forms, each with documents and a processing fee. After enlistment, DRAP says its inspectorate checks local manufacturers for good manufacturing practice from time to time. The page does not say what an enlistment number looks like or what must be printed on the label, so we do not claim either.

DRAP's public lists show applications, so read them carefully

DRAP's Alternative Medicines updates page carries lists for herbal, homeopathic and nutraceutical products. The most recent we saw were dated 13 June 2025, 16 January 2025 and 18 December 2024. DRAP describes them as lists of provisional applications received, in first-come-first-served order, with a disclaimer about possible errors.

We did not open those lists. By DRAP's own description they show applications in the queue. A product on that kind of list may still be waiting. DRAP's page also shows cancellations: in February 2023 its committee cancelled provisional certificates for two manufacturers over minimum manufacturing requirements. Ask DRAP, not the seller, whether a given product is fully enlisted.

1. Read the pack for the company name, address and any enlistment details printed on it.
2. Ask the shop for the manufacturer's full name, not only the brand.
3. Open DRAP's Alternative Medicines updates page and look for the company in the latest lists.
4. Call DRAP on 0800-03727, weekdays from 8 am to 4 pm, to confirm the status.
5. If a product caused harm, report it using the steps in reporting a medicine side effect to DRAP.

Supplements, probiotics and disinfectants have their own notification

In October 2026 DRAP posted a notification of health and OTC products as therapeutic goods. We covered what it does for probiotics, disinfectants and food supplements. Check the pack label rules too, set out in checking a medicine pack label against DRAP's rules.

If something you bought looks unsafe or makes a claim that sounds like a cure, DRAP also takes reports of illegal advertising, which our page on reporting an illegal medicine advertisement explains.

Common questions

Are herbal medicines registered with DRAP?

They are enlisted, not registered. DRAP's page describes enlistment under the 2014 rules.

Does a DRAP list prove my herbal product is approved?

Not necessarily. DRAP describes several of its published lists as provisional applications, so confirm the status with DRAP.

Are food supplements covered?

Yes. DRAP's page puts food supplements, nutritional products and infant dietetic foods under health products.

Can a herbal product replace my prescribed tablets?

DRAP says these products are not an alternative to prescribed drugs. Ask your doctor before changing treatment.

What is the DRAP helpline?

0800-03727, open Monday to Friday from 8 am to 4 pm.

What does the enlistment number look like?

DRAP's page does not say, so we cannot tell you. Ask DRAP.

How we verified this

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

Last checked 22 October 2026. We read DRAP's Alternative Medicine product categories page, its application process page, its Alternative Medicines approvals and updates listing and its home page. We did not open any enlistment list or search any product, and DRAP's pages do not say how a buyer can verify a single product or what the enlistment mark looks like. Details on forms for products appeared inconsistent on the page, so we did not name the product form numbers.