Spurious drug manufacturers face the music

Counterfeit medicines, unregistered surgical tools flooding the market

LAHORE/MULTAN:

In an effort to safeguard public health, the Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department (P&SHD) has initiated a crackdown against spurious, unregistered and substandard medicine in the province. Primary and Secondary Healthcare Minister Khawaja Imran Nazeer led surprise raids on BHP Pharma and Opal Pharma situated at Multan Road on Thursday.

The crackdown targets not only the production, but also the sale of these hazardous substances, aiming to eliminate their presence from the market. The minister underscored the importance of the ongoing operation, emphasizing the collaboration with the CM’s Task Force to ensure a sustained effort against spurious drug makers. He assured that the province would be purged of spurious drugs through rigorous measures, leaving no room for compromise on quality and hygiene standards.

The crackdown commenced with the discovery of a criminal operation in Faisalabad which was involved in supplying substandard drugs to hospitals. Chief Drug Controller Azhar Jamal Saleemi, along with other officials, joined Minister Nazeer in the raid, demonstrating the government's resolve to combat the issue effectively.

Meanwhile in Multan, Wholesale Medicines Market office bearers urged health authorities to launch a crackdown against unregistered and smuggled drugs and surgical tools in the market, which are posing threat to human lives.

President Wholesale Medicine Market Salman Khan Khogani and General Secretary Sheikh Muhammad Faisal Rehman stated that due to no checks and balances from the authorities concerned, the sale of subpar and dangerous products was rampant in the market and they were ready to extend every type of cooperation for its eradication.

They stated that items including catamenials, intravenous (IV) cannulas, switchers, catkits and most the surgical tools were unregistered and smuggled. The further said that even iodine is being manufactured and labeled with local companies’ names.

The Wholesale Medicine Market officials further demanded authorities to immediately spring into action against those who are found involved in this business in the wholesale market, adding that they would not tolerate any individual or company anymore. They also appealed to the government to revise the recent permitted raise in the rates of the medicines, as they had gone out of reach of commoners.

Treating illnesses has become very difficult for the people, they said, adding that the government must review and revise the policy on compassionate grounds.