Spurious drugs: Health dept asked to register all chemists in 12 days

Officials unhappy with ‘unrealistic time limit’.

PESHAWAR: The health department is assigned with a herculean task: to register all chemists in the province by July 15 to prevent sale of spurious and substandard medicines.

“All medicine sellers will be required to paste a certificate of authorisation in their shop,” Health Services Director General Dr Muhammad Zafar told The Express Tribune.

Deputy commissioners and DHOs across the province will conduct raids. No pharmacist will be allowed to operate without a certificate and anyone violating orders will be penalised.



“There are many homemade medicines available in the market, which are not certified and they cause serious health problems,” said the director adding, up till now, the court has received 23 cases of spurious and 50 cases of substandard drugs.

Officials of the health department, however, have expressed discontent over the ‘unrealistic time limit’ given to regularise the businesses.

“Issuing orders is easy but you have to look at the ground realities. It is not the work of a few days,” said one of the officials, adding streamlining these businesses will take months. The official, requesting anonymity, added they lack vehicles and other resources required to expedite the process.

The department was earlier asked to complete the job within a week. The deadline was later extended to mid of July after officials complained it was impossible to register all pharmacists.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 4^th, 2013.