The Pakistan private patient pathway, IRD / AKU / Shaukat Khanum, and named-patient innovator access
By Reserve Meds · Clinical and regulatory team · Last reviewed 2026-05-17
Why the private pathway matters
Pakistan's public-sector healthcare carries the population's burden of care but is structurally not set up for routine FDA-approved innovator imports outside specific federal programmes (HCV elimination, immunisation, TB, HIV). For patients with rare-disease, advanced oncology, autoimmune, or neurology prescriptions that depend on innovator-grade biologics or small-molecule agents, the practical route is through major private and trust-sector tertiary centres.
Indus Hospital and Health Network (IRD), Aga Khan University Hospital (AKU, Karachi), Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (Lahore and Peshawar), Liaquat National Hospital (Karachi), Shifa International Hospital (Islamabad), and Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute (PKLI, Lahore) are the primary coordination centres.
How the coordination works
Step 1: Diagnosis and treatment plan with a credentialed specialist registered with the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC), typically at one of the centres above.
Step 2: If the FDA-approved therapy is not locally registered or not routinely available, the specialist initiates a DRAP Personal Use Import / Named Patient file via the OIES portal at dra.gov.pk. Reserve Meds can supply the documentation template and regulatory liaison.
Step 3: US-side innovator sourcing via Reserve Meds's DSCSA-compliant wholesale partners, cold-chain shipping where required, customs clearance through a Pakistani importer of record, and delivery to the hospital pharmacy.
Step 4: Hospital pharmacy receipt, chain-of-custody verification, and administration in the infusion suite or outpatient pharmacy dispensing per the drug profile. Follow-up monitoring per FDA labelling, coordinated by the prescribing specialist.
Tertiary centre profiles
Aga Khan University Hospital (AKU, Karachi): full-spectrum tertiary care, JCI-accredited, oncology-haematology-rheumatology-neurology-ophthalmology-transplant programmes, internationally trained faculty, infusion suites, biological-grade pharmacy.
Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital (Lahore, Peshawar, with Karachi diagnostic centre): tertiary cancer care, NCCN-aligned protocols, internal pharmacy, infusion suites, biomarker testing capacity, philanthropic funding model.
Indus Hospital and Health Network (IRD, Karachi-anchored): expanding tertiary care across Pakistan, free care model with philanthropic funding, growing oncology, haematology, and chronic-disease specialty depth.
Shifa International Hospital (Islamabad): JCI-accredited tertiary care, transplant programme, oncology, neurology, ophthalmology, infusion suites.
Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Center (PKLI&RC, Lahore): transplant-anchored tertiary care, hepatology specialty depth, oncology, infusion.
State Bank of Pakistan FX considerations
Outward remittance for medical treatment is governed by State Bank of Pakistan FX regulations. Form FE-25 is the primary instrument for medical-purpose outward remittance. Authorised dealers (Pakistani commercial banks with FX dealing licence) execute the wire against documented medical-purpose evidence (physician letter, hospital invoice, Reserve Meds quote).
Annual SBP medical-purpose remittance allowances apply per individual; supplementary approvals are available for cases above the standard ceiling, typically with hospital-letter documentation.
Indicative timing
From specialist consultation to first dispensation: 21-45 days for standard DRAP OIES processing, 7-21 days for expedited cases. Reserve Meds operates on a waitlist basis during pre-launch; cohort availability is limited.
Frequently asked
Can a public-sector specialist file a DRAP OIES application? Yes, any PMC-registered specialist can. The OIES filing is keyed to the prescribing physician's credentials, not to the employing institution.
Does AKU or Shaukat Khanum charge a coordination fee on top of Reserve Meds? Hospital pharmacy receipt-and-administration fees and infusion-suite charges are billed by the hospital separately from the drug cost and Reserve Meds concierge. The patient pays the hospital directly for hospital-rendered services.
Can the importer of record be the hospital pharmacy directly? Yes, where the hospital pharmacy holds the necessary import licence and elects to act as IOR. Reserve Meds also coordinates with licensed third-party Pakistani IORs where preferred.
What happens at refill time? DRAP Personal Use Import approvals support renewal cycles aligned to the prescription calendar. Reserve Meds maintains case continuity so each refill is not a fresh file.
Reserve Meds is a US-based concierge coordinator for cross-border specialty medicine. We are in pre-launch; service availability is limited to our first cohort and published timelines are indicative, not guarantees. Cash-pay. Export-only (US to overseas). Composite case examples. Not medical advice.
Clinical and regulatory review: Reserve Meds clinical team and AI regulatory-counsel review pipeline. Last medically reviewed: 2026-05-17.