National Drug Laboratory Achieves International ISO Certification

Kathmandu. The National Drug Laboratory has received international certification 'ISO'. The laboratory has obtained the ISO 17025:2017 certificate.

After 60 years since its establishment, Nepal's sole government laboratory for drug testing has become 'ISO Accredited Certified'. Bharat Bhattarai, Director of the National Drug Laboratory, stated that the laboratory has now transformed into an international standard government drug laboratory and will gain further credibility for ensuring drug quality.

He said, "The laboratory received the ISO certificate due to the tireless efforts of the entire laboratory team over three years. We have worked specifically on management and quality to obtain the certificate."

The laboratory has been responsible for testing and analyzing drugs produced in Nepal and imported from abroad, quality control and management, and validation of quality and methods. It tests samples received from the Department of Drug Administration, samples received from private sector pharmaceutical industries, various agencies and organizations, and tests other drugs as well as inspects the quality of private laboratories.

Similarly, the laboratory conducts regulatory audits, tests and analyzes the quality of drugs produced domestically, distributed, and imported from abroad, validates analytical methods, certifies vaccines received from government agencies, and inspects and audits good laboratory practices.

Established under Section 6 of the Drug Act, 2035, the Nepal Drug Research Laboratory serves as the government's principal body for scientific research, testing, and analysis of drugs.