Store, firm fined for 'counterfeit' drug sales

The Haripur Consumer Protection Court, on Monday, imposed fines on a medical store and the owners of a pharmaceutical company for selling substandard and counterfeit medicines.

Complainants Akhtar Nawaz and Muhammad Arslan reported that they were sold a liquid gel that was supposed to be in gel form but was found to be in liquid form. They also noted several discrepancies in the product's labelling, including mismatched product names and missing manufacturer details. The complainants raised concerns that the medicines were of poor quality and potentially counterfeit.

Following an inspection, the Consumer Protection Council of Peshawar confirmed the labelling errors and quality issues. The complainants provided consistent testimony that supported their allegations. The defendants acknowledged purchasing the gel from a registered company but admitted they failed to verify its quality before selling it. The court held the defendants accountable under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Consumer Protection Act of 1997, imposing a fine of Rs20,000 on Khurshid Medicos. Each defendant was also ordered to pay Rs10,000 as compensation to the complainants. The manufacturing company was fined Rs50,000 for violating labelling requirements.

The court further directed authorities to conduct immediate inspections of stores suspected of selling counterfeit medicines and recommended legal actions against such stores. Additionally, it called for awareness campaigns to educate consumers on identifying counterfeit medicines and distinguishing legitimate sellers