DRAP Notifies Probiotics, Disinfectants and Food Supplements as Therapeutic Goods in Pakistan
DRAP issued S.R.O. 1688(I)/2026 on 6 October listing probiotics, supplements, disinfectants and baby milk as therapeutic goods. We read it: what it says.
The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan has notified eight kinds of health and over-the-counter products as therapeutic goods. S.R.O. 1688(I)/2026, dated 6 October 2026, covers probiotics, disinfectants, nutritional products, food supplements in pharmaceutical dosage forms, specialised baby milk for medical conditions, medicated cosmetics, medicated soaps and medicated shampoos. DRAP put the notification on its website on 13 October.
We read the notification on DRAP's website on 13 October 2026. It is a short legal text with one list and no fee, deadline or penalty.
DRAP lists eight product types in S.R.O. 1688
The notification says DRAP, on the recommendation of its Policy Board, notifies these products as therapeutic goods for the purposes of the DRAP Act 2012. It uses clause (xxxvi) of section 2 of the Act, which is the power to declare other goods as therapeutic goods.
| No. | Product type in the notification |
|---|---|
| 1 | Probiotics |
| 2 | Disinfectants |
| 3 | Nutritional products |
| 4 | Food supplements in pharmaceutical dosage forms |
| 5 | Specialised baby milk for medical conditions |
| 6 | Medicated cosmetics |
| 7 | Medicated soaps |
| 8 | Medicated shampoos |
The notification is dated 6 October and says it will go in the Gazette
The document is headed "To be published in the extra-ordinary Gazette of Pakistan, Part-II". It is signed by DRAP's Director (Legal Affairs). We saw the text on DRAP's site, but we did not see the Gazette copy. So we cannot say when it takes legal effect.
The notification gives no start date and no deadline for sellers. It says nothing about fees. DRAP has not published any guidance on how these products will be registered or enlisted, as far as we could find on 13 October.
What the change means for buyers
For now, the notification does not change what is on the shelf. It does mean these products fall under the same law as medicines. A food supplement in tablet or capsule form, a probiotic sachet, a medicated shampoo or a disinfectant may in future need a DRAP number and a printed track and trace code.
That last point is our reading, not a statement by DRAP. DRAP has not said it. Until it publishes rules, nothing a buyer holds becomes invalid because of this notification.
- Keep buying from a licensed pharmacy and keep the receipt.
- Look for a registration number on the pack, and check it on DRAP's registered product search. The steps are in how to check a medicine is registered and priced right.
- Be careful with products sold only on social media with no address.
- Report a product you think is fake or harmful.
The page on reporting counterfeit medicine to DRAP explains how.
Why the legal label matters
The DRAP Act gives the Authority power over therapeutic goods, which includes medicines and medical devices. By naming more product types as therapeutic goods, DRAP brings them under that same power. The notification itself does not explain what DRAP will do with that power. We will update this report when it does.
Shoppers will notice nothing today. Sellers, importers and makers of these eight product types are the people who will feel the change first. A seller who handles probiotics or medicated soap may soon need to ask what paperwork is expected.
For ordinary buyers the practical advice stays the same. Buy from a shop you can find again, keep the receipt, read the label and check the registration number where one is printed. If a pack seems fake, the page on reporting a product shows where to send it. A notification on paper does not make a bad product safe, and it does not make a good product unsafe either.
Barcodes on medicine packs are a separate rule
DRAP's 2D barcode and serialisation rule for pharmaceutical products took effect on 9 October 2026. It is a different notification. It is explained in the 2D barcode rule for medicine packs. Do not mix the two. The new list does not say these eight product types must carry the barcode.
What we could not confirm
We could not confirm four things: the Gazette date, the date from which the notification applies, whether existing products must register and how the Authority will treat stock already in shops. We also could not find any DRAP press release about it. These points will become clear when DRAP issues rules or a statement.
Common questions
Are probiotics now medicines in Pakistan?
They are notified as therapeutic goods under the DRAP Act. That is a legal category for the Act. It does not say they are prescription medicines.
Do I need a prescription for a food supplement now?
The notification says nothing about prescriptions.
Which products are covered?
Eight types, listed in the table above, including medicated soaps and shampoos and specialised baby milk for medical conditions.
When does the notification take effect?
It does not say. It is headed for publication in the Gazette, and we did not see the Gazette copy.
Will prices change?
The notification does not mention prices.
Who is affected first
The first people to feel this are the companies that make, import and sell the eight product types. Pharmacies, general stores and online sellers that stock supplements or medicated soaps may also be asked for papers. DRAP has not yet said how or when. Families who buy these products for children, especially specialised baby milk, should keep buying from the same trusted pharmacy until DRAP explains.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
We read DRAP's page for S.R.O. 1688(I)/2026 and its PDF on 13 October 2026. The page was posted on 13 October and the notification is dated 6 October 2026.
About the author
Public Services and Education Journalist
Fajr Riaz is a journalist and content writer at Pakistan Era, based in Lahore. She covers the questions people meet in everyday life in Pakistan: how a public service works, what a change in the rules means, and where to find a reliable answer.
