4th day of strike: Pharmacists to protest at Nasir Bagh today

Association official says government doesn't seem interested in solving their issue

LAHORE: In order to intensify their campaign against Drug Act Amendment Bill 2017, pharmacists on their 4th day of the strike have announced to hold a rally at Nasir Bagh on Monday (Today).

Talking to The Express Tribune, All Pakistan Drugs and Chemists Association President Ishaq Meo said: "The government doesn't seem interested in addressing our issues, therefore, we have decided to protest."

"Our 99% medical stores are closed across the Punjab, including Lahore, Multan, Hafizabad, Kamalia, Toba Tek Singh, Rajan Pur, Jhaniyan and Sohawa," he said. "We will continue our strike until our demands are met."

Under the Drug Act Amendment Bill 2017, a pharmacist's presence in the medical store has been declared mandatory whereas a punishment will be awarded over untidiness in the stores.

"The government is trying to make us fool, but we need urgent attention from the government and request them to solve our problems," said Meo. He added that under the act, the Punjab Healthcare Commission has been authorised to invigilate the medical stores, which was totally unacceptable to us.

According to the Act, anyone who exports, imports or manufactures drugs for sale without a license shall be given a prison term of up to five years and a fine that can be increased to Rs50 million. "Manufacturing, transporting or selling a temperature sensitive drug that loses its efficacy declared as punishable offences and violators could be punished with three years in jail and fined will be imposed up to Rs50 million. The new law manufacture, transport and sale of the temperature sensitive drugs in less than ideal conditions could be punished up to 10 years."

The bill was passed and amended in the backdrop of the growing concerns that almost all the medical stores across Punjab where there is no working pharmacist. The Act stated there should be at least one pharmacist in each medical store.

Pakistan Drug Lawyers Forum President Dr Noor Muhammad Mahar told The Express Tribune that unnecessarily huge penalties were being imposed by the Punjab government. "All business related to drugs and medicines is controlled and run by the federal government. No other province has introduced such penalties for violations. It will badly affect the business of medical stores."

He said that fake medicine and those being made under license should not be treated in the same manner. "This is something that is not practiced anywhere in the world," said Dr Mahar.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 30^th, 2018.