National Control Laboratory achieves WHO prequalification accreditation

The National Control Laboratory (NCL) of Directorate General of Drug Administration has achieved the World Health Organisation's accreditation of prequalification for ensuring quality, safety and efficacy of medicines.

NCL does quality assurance and also controls tests of medical products, vaccines, medical devices for public health protection in Bangladesh.

Prior to listing a laboratory as being prequalified, the World Health Organisation (WHO) ensures compliance with Good Practices for National Pharmaceutical Control Laboratories and relevant parts of WHO Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).

At present, there are total 51 WHO prequalified medicines quality control laboratories available globally, and in South East Asian region the number is seven, including public and private.

Of them, only two national (government) medicine quality control laboratories are WHO prequalified.

Now Bangladesh is the third country in this region, where the NCL received WHO prequalification, said a press release.

Bangladesh started this journey to achieve WHO prequalification since March 2016, with support of WHO, USAID, USP-PQM, World Bank and KOIKA.

This is a tremendous success of the government to complete the mission by three and half years. Now the NCL is on new apex of success.

WHO prequalification (WHO PQ) is the world's highest accreditation to a national medicines regulatory authority and national medicines quality control laboratory. WHO PQ increases reliance and acceptance world-wide.

Bangladesh will get following benefits with this world's highest accreditation:

1. Better quality assurance system for safe, efficacious products
2. Better access to quality, safe and effective medicines for public health
3. Access to donor funded procurement markets for Bangladeshi pharmaceutical business
4. It will ensure products are developed in an LMIC (lower middle-Income country) context
5. It will enhance reliance for investors.
6. It will increase compliance with medicines quality, safety and efficacy
7. Global export will be explored due to increased reliance on regulation of medicines
8. Many developed countries will be more interested to import medicines from Bangladesh, due to increased reliance level.
9. Overall WHO Prequalification is prestigious achievement for any country.