DRAP fake medicine alert: Augmentin, Velosef, Nasomet, No-Spa Forte and Mucaine batches found in Karachi

The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has issued rapid alerts on falsified batches of five medicines found in Karachi: Augmentin 625mg tablets, Velosef 500mg, Nasomet Aqueous nasal spray, No-Spa Forte 80mg tablets and Mucaine suspension. These are everyday prescriptions for chest and throat infections, allergies, stomach cramps and acidity, so many households will have one of them at home.

What DRAP found

DRAP lists the cases on its recall and rapid alert page as alerts No. 40 and 43. ProPakistani first reported the batch of alerts on Thursday.

• Nasomet Aqueous Nasal Spray, batch FW-099 (alert I/S/10-26-40, dated 19 October 2026). The Central Drugs Laboratory in Karachi tested a sample sent by a federal drug inspector and found no mometasone furoate at all, the steroid the spray is supposed to contain. The real maker, Sante (Private) Limited of SITE Superhighway, Karachi, told DRAP the sample was not theirs.
• Velosef, Augmentin, No-Spa Forte and Mucaine (alert No. 43). The products were made illegally and sold under the names of national and multinational companies, and the raw materials in them could not be identified, DRAP said, so their safety and strength are unknown.

Why it matters

A fake antibiotic such as Augmentin or Velosef can leave an infection untreated and help bacteria resist the real drug. A fake steroid spray simply does nothing for a child's allergy. DRAP's own wording is that using these products "may result in treatment failure" and could be life threatening.

DRAP has told its field staff and the provincial drug control departments to search the supply chain and seize the batches.

What to do if you have these medicines

1. Check the batch number printed on the strip or bottle. For Nasomet, the falsified batch is FW-099. If you have one of the other four, compare it with the batch numbers in DRAP's alert before using it.
2. Scan the barcode. Since 9 October, medicine packs must carry a barcode that can be checked against DRAP's records (see our explainer on the medicine barcode rule).
3. Buy only from a licensed pharmacy and keep the receipt. Our directory lists pharmacies in Karachi.
4. Stop using a suspect pack and see your doctor if you had side effects or the treatment did not work.
5. Report it to DRAP's pharmacovigilance centre (gsms@dra.gov.pk, 051-9255969) or your provincial drug inspector.

Earlier alerts

This is the second wave of fakes this month. DRAP's list also carries a recall of substandard 20ml disposable syringes made in Gadoon Amazai and a falsified Brexin tablet alert (No. 44).