Health guides: medicine prices and safe buying
These guides explain medicine prices and safe use in Pakistan in plain language. Each one is based on official sources, shows its date, and tells you how to check the current information yourself. To see how we write and review them, read our Editorial Policy.
Understanding prices
How DRAP sets medicine prices in Pakistan
What a maximum retail price (MRP) is, who fixes it, why prices change, and what to do if you are charged more than the price on the pack.
Paracetamol price in Pakistan
The official DRAP maximum retail price for Paracetamol 500mg tablets, the price per tablet, how it changed, and how to compare brands fairly.
Brand vs generic medicines in Pakistan
Why one medicine has many brand names and prices, and when to ask your pharmacist before switching.
What does 20 x 10's mean? Pack sizes explained
How to read pack sizes and work out the price per tablet or per millilitre so you can compare fairly.
Medicine price terms explained
Plain-language meanings of MRP, S.R.O., DRAP, registration number, batch number, pack size and other terms.
Buying safely
How to read a medicine label in Pakistan
What the strength, batch number, expiry date, registration number and printed price mean, with a checklist to use before you pay.
Medicine expiry dates explained
How to read EXP and MFG dates, why short-dated packs matter, and what to do with expired medicines.
How to read a prescription: abbreviations explained
What Tab, Cap, OD, BD, TDS, SOS and other shorthand mean, and what to ask if anything is unclear.
How to spot fake or unregistered medicines
Practical steps to lower the risk of buying fake, expired or unregistered medicines, and what to do if you suspect a problem.
10 questions to ask your pharmacist
Simple questions about the ingredient, strength, alternatives, price, expiry and storage before you buy.
Using medicines safely
Cold and flu medicines: avoid taking the same ingredient twice
How to check labels so that several products do not add up to too much of one ingredient, such as paracetamol.
Antibiotics: why you should not take them without advice
Why antibiotics do not work on colds and flu, how misuse causes resistance, and what to ask before you buy one.
How to store medicines safely at home
Simple rules for heat, humidity, children and expiry dates, and what to do with old medicines.
How to make a basic home medicine and first aid kit
A practical checklist of supplies, how to store them, and how often to check them.
How to travel with medicines
What to pack, how to carry it, and what to check before you travel with your medicines.
Where to check official prices
The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan lists registered product prices on its PharmaPrice Index and publishes price notifications on dra.gov.pk. Always check the date a price took effect.