Spurious, substandard, falsified, adulterated: what DRAP's alert words mean
A spurious or falsified medicine is a fake that pretends to be something it is not. A substandard medicine is real but fails quality standards. DRAP alerts use these words, plus adulterated, misbranded and unregistered, with legal meanings set out in the Drugs Act, 1976. Here is what each means for you.
| Term | Plain meaning | Typical example | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spurious | Imitates or passes off as another product, or claims a maker that did not make it | Tablets in a copied brand box with no active ingredient | Do not use. Report. |
| Falsified | WHO's term for deliberately misrepresenting identity, composition or source; used alongside "spurious" | Fake vaccine vials circulating internationally | Do not use. Report. |
| Substandard | From an authorised maker but fails specifications | Too little active ingredient, failed dissolution, contamination | Stop using that batch. Return it. |
| Adulterated | Contains a harmful or wrong substance, or was made or stored in conditions that may contaminate it | Contaminated syrup or eye drops | Do not use. Seek care if you have symptoms. |
| Misbranded | Label is false, misleading or missing required information | Wrong strength printed, missing registration number | Return and ask for a correctly labelled pack. |
| Unregistered | Sold without DRAP registration | Imported products sold without approval | Avoid. Ask for a registered alternative. |
Why the difference matters
For a patient the advice is the same: do not use the product. The difference matters for how worried to be about other packs. A substandard batch is usually a one-off manufacturing failure limited to listed batch numbers, so other batches of the same brand are typically fine. A spurious product is a criminal copy that can carry any batch number, so for a few weeks after an alert it is worth scanning every pack of that brand carefully.
Who decides
Samples are tested by federal and provincial drug testing laboratories, such as the Central Drugs Laboratory in Karachi and the Drug Testing Laboratories in each province. When a sample fails, DRAP publishes an alert naming the product, batch and finding. You can search every alert since 2021 in our recall tool.
Where track and trace fits in
Testing catches problems after they reach the market. Mehfooz Dawa adds a check at the point of sale: a spurious pack either has a serial that is not in the system or one copied from a real pack. Scanning gives you a chance to catch it before you take it.
Questions people ask
Is substandard medicine the same as fake medicine?
No. A substandard medicine is made by a real, authorised manufacturer but fails a quality test, for example it has too little active ingredient or dissolves too slowly. A spurious or falsified medicine deliberately pretends to be a product it is not.
What does "misbranded" mean?
The label is false or misleading in some way, such as a wrong name, missing information or claims it should not make, even if the contents are otherwise acceptable.
What is an unregistered drug?
A product sold in Pakistan without registration from DRAP. It has not been assessed for quality, safety and effectiveness here, so it should not be on sale, even if the same product is legitimate in another country.
