ISLAMABAD: The government of Pakistan has announced a ban on the manufacture, import, and sale of manual medical syringes with a capacity of less than 10cc, aiming to safeguard public health and prevent the reuse of contaminated syringes.

The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has issued an official notification in this regard, which has been circulated to the governments of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, all four provinces, as well as syringe manufacturers and importers.

Under the new regulations, which will come into effect on 1 January 2027, only auto-lock syringes will be permitted for sale in Pakistan. DRAP said the ban will not apply to insulin syringes.

It is to be mentioned that Pakistan had already prohibited the use of 2cc and 5cc manual syringes, and now, under the new directives, an exemption for the use of 10cc manual in public and private hospitals has been withdrawn.

In addition, an earlier notification issued on 1 July 2026 regarding restrictions on specific syringe sizes has been revoked.

DRAP has also instructed manufacturers to convert their manual syringe production to Safety Engineered Reuse Prevention (RUP) by 31 December 2026.

Manufacturers and importers will also be required to obtain approval from DRAP before producing, importing, or selling auto-lock syringes.

The regulator said the transition from conventional syringes to auto-lock technology was inevitable to safeguard public health, with the primary objective of preventing the reuse of contaminated syringes.

Provincial governments have been directed to ensure strict implementation of the new regulations.