Dexamethasone disappears from markets in Islamabad

Pharmacists will face action under Hoarding Act 1977, warns DC

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Capital Territory Administration (ICTA) has decided to launch an action against the drug stores involved in hoarding dexamethasone drug, which is being prescribed to coronavirus patients.

However, the profiteers taking advantage of the situation hoarded huge quantities of otherwise widely available cheap medicine.

In this regard, Islamabad Deputy Commissioner (DC) Hamza Shafqat issued a notification on Wednesday.

It read that the district administration will form special teams to carry out action against the pharmacies and drug stores involved in the practice.

DC has directed all pharmacies to ensure the uninterrupted supply of the drug and sell it only to those having a doctor’s prescription.

The drug stores have been instructed to maintain records of sales and purchase of the medicine.

Assistant Commissioners (ACs) have been directed to check the record of pharmacies for transparency.

On selling of dexamethasone in hiked prices or hoarding it for profiteering, the pharmacists will face action under Hoarding Act 1977, Drug Act 1976 and Drug Regulatory Authority Pakistan (DRAP) 2012 Act Schedule-II. 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 18^th, 2020.