PIC tragedy: Two labs off the hook
Medicines were sent to Central Drug Testing Laboratory in Karachi.
LAHORE:
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has discharged cases registered against two pharmaceutical laboratories that supplied medicines to the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) for providing free-of-cost medicines to cardiac patients.
The FIA officials said that the medicines were sent to the Central Drug Testing Laboratory in Karachi.
The report they received, they said, found the tablet Alfagril of Alfalah Pharmaceutical Laboratory to be substandard while the other two medicines, Solprin manufactured by Pharmawise Pharmaceutical Laboratory and Cardiovestin manufactured by Mega Pharmaceutical Laboratory, were found to be of the prescribed standards.
The FIA Investigation Officers have recommended the cancellation of cases against Pharmawise Pharmaceutical Laboratory and Mega Pharmaceutical Laboratory.
However, the case relating to Alfalah Pharmaceutical Laboratory will not be discharged because the company was manufacturing medicines without a valid licence and the tablet Alfagril was found to be substandard, an FIA official said.
No legal action has been initiated against Efroze Chemical Industries which manufactured the tablet Isotab blamed for most of the deaths.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 10th, 2012.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has discharged cases registered against two pharmaceutical laboratories that supplied medicines to the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) for providing free-of-cost medicines to cardiac patients.
The FIA officials said that the medicines were sent to the Central Drug Testing Laboratory in Karachi.
The report they received, they said, found the tablet Alfagril of Alfalah Pharmaceutical Laboratory to be substandard while the other two medicines, Solprin manufactured by Pharmawise Pharmaceutical Laboratory and Cardiovestin manufactured by Mega Pharmaceutical Laboratory, were found to be of the prescribed standards.
The FIA Investigation Officers have recommended the cancellation of cases against Pharmawise Pharmaceutical Laboratory and Mega Pharmaceutical Laboratory.
However, the case relating to Alfalah Pharmaceutical Laboratory will not be discharged because the company was manufacturing medicines without a valid licence and the tablet Alfagril was found to be substandard, an FIA official said.
No legal action has been initiated against Efroze Chemical Industries which manufactured the tablet Isotab blamed for most of the deaths.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 10th, 2012.