Counterfeit medicines imperil public health

The business of selling counterfeit medicines is at its peak in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, where the billion-rupee trade secretly imperils public safety as the government silently observes as an onlooker.

This illicit trade is thriving not only in remote areas of the province but also in the capital city of Peshawar, where people are making billions overnight at the cost of public health.

Reports suggest that there are around 50,000 registered medical stores in Peshawar and other parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 95 per cent of which lack qualified pharmacists.

While many store owners rent certificates or use fake documents, others operate without any certification at all.

Shah Zaman, a resident of Peshawar, told The Express Tribune that his mother was admitted at the Lady Reading Hospital a few months ago.

"Whenever I went to buy medicines, I noticed that the prices differed at every store, even though it was the same drug. Most medical stores employ children with no knowledge of medicines, while others are run by uneducated individuals. At the very least, the government should shut down this counterfeit medicine business, which is looting people of billions every day," stressed Zaman, while urging the government to regulate all medical stores and announce strict punishments to those involved in malpractice.

Habib Khan, a pharmacy student at a private university in Mardan, claimed that unfortunately, despite the importance of the pharmacy sector, the government and authorities failed to direct their due attention.

"Even today, many medical stores are stocked with counterfeit drugs. Until or unless the Drug Regulatory Authority in K-P is strengthened, people will continue to suffer because of substandard medicines. If the government introduces a law requiring a pharmacist in every medical store, not only will it increase job opportunities, but it will also ensure that people have access to original medicines," noted Khan.

Arshad Khan Mohmand, Chief Drug Coordinator of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, while speaking to The Express Tribune, confirmed that there were currently 55,000 registered medical stores in the province.

"Regrettably, 95 per cent of these stores neither have pharmacists nor valid certificates as most rely on fake documents. Both the government and the Drug Regulatory Authority must take timely action. I understand that the authority has limited resources but the government must improve its financial and administrative capacity so that effective measures can be taken against the counterfeit drug trade," said Mohmand.

According to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Drug Control Department, from January 2025 to June 2025, 6,815 inspections were carried out, 944 medical stores were seized, 214 samples were declared substandard, 84 samples were declared spurious, while 70 medical shops were sealed. Furthermore, 1,198 prosecutions were launched in the drug court, 347 cases decided and Rs6,176,000 imposed as fines across the province.

Chief Drug Inspector K-P Dr Abbas Khan revealed that the licenses issued to qualified persons and stores were in accordance with the Drug Act 1976. "Any violation of the said act has been dealt with as per law. During our raids, several factories producing spurious drugs have been targeted. No one will be allowed to play with the lives of people," reiterated Dr Khan.