Upholding consumer rights

Government should issue consumer rights bill to which companies must adhere & ensure safety of OTC, prescription drug.

The deaths of at least 16 people after consuming a particular cough medicine in Lahore, shocking and outrageous though it may be, should not come as particularly surprising news. The lack of regulation and testing, before medicines are freely available over-the-counter, ensure that it is only a matter of time before an unscrupulous company taking shortcuts ends up killing consumers of its medicines. According to a story in this newspaper, preliminary reports suggest that the “active ingredients” in the cough syrup were “not toxic”. However, more tests are being done and one will have to wait for those findings before making a final judgment in this case. Nonetheless, the deaths are an indictment of a system of consumer protection that is all but invisible.

If the deaths occurred due to toxic ingredients in the medicine, the manufacturer should be put on trial and the matter must be seen as a criminal case, not a civil one. Consumer courts should also be used more often in other cases where consumer rights are violated, even if they don’t result in death and injury. In fact, the government should issue a consumer bill of rights to which companies must adhere by ensuring the safety of all over-the-counter and prescription drugs through proper lab testing. Consequences for failing to comply with the rules should also be clearly spelled out.

The concept of consumer rights has never been taken particularly seriously in the country. The malfeasance of corporations is ignored by the media since it is those very corporations who are the biggest advertisers. The government has no interest in regulating the wealthy and the powerful. There is no funding available for consumer watchdog groups. Ultimately, we end up with a system where companies can toy with the lives of consumers even while they are bleeding them dry with exorbitant prices. There is no one we can trust since no one has the incentive to ensure quality and safety control. Any product we purchase may be a death trap and we just have to take it on trust that it will not kill us.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30^th, 2012.