KARACHI: The Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers` Association (PPMA) warned on Thursday it will launch a protest drive if an attempt is made to devolve the present nationwide regulatory regime for medicines` manufacturing and sales to the provincial level.

PPMA Central Chairman Dr Kaiser Waheed said he expected chaos and anarchy in the medicine market in case provinces were allowed to create their own drug regulatory authorities after the virtual devolution of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) to the provincial level. In such a scenario, patients will suffer owing to the unavailability of locally manufactured medicines, he said.