Unregistered drugs plague Badin markets

BADIN:

The drugstores in Badin district have actually turned into 'drug' stores, concerned citizens told The Express Tribune.

Any person can walk into a chemist shop and buy medicines which are to be sold strictly on prescription only, they said.

Be it sedatives for controlling anxiety or anti-depressants to treat clinical depression, pay the price and enjoy a ride of hallucinations, said a school teacher requesting anonymity.

Due to the gross negligence, inefficiency, and widespread corruption within the health department, the open sale of sedatives, anti-depressants pills, injections, and other controlled drugs has reached alarming level in Badin.

Besides selling prescription drugs without doctors' note, shopkeepers are also selling unregistered, substandard, and counterfeit medicines in Badin districts and its towns including Matli, Tando Bago, Talhar, and Golarchi.

In complete violation of medical regulations and legal requirements, several medical store owners are fearlessly selling these hazardous items, community members said. These substances pose serious risks to public health and have reportedly claimed multiple lives. Local sources indicate that many medical outlets in the district are openly stocking and selling medicines that legally require prior approval from the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP).

Disturbingly, these harmful medicines are being sold without prescriptions and include addictive drugs meant only for use in hospitals or under supervision of qualified doctors. The most tragic aspect is that the use of such substances is no longer limited to adult addicts-children and young students are also falling victim to injectable drugs.