Cracking down: 201,437 herbal companies sealed for violating law

LAHORE:

Ministry of Health Drug Regulations Pharmaceutical Legal Expert Noor Muhammad Maher said on Wednesday that 201,437 herbal companies had been sealed for failing to get registered by October 1.

He was speaking to journalists. Maher said drug inspectors had also nabbed 40 people in scores of raids. He said over 2,700 companies had submitted applications to register 8,500 products following the passage of the Health Bill for Alternative Medicines 2012. Maher said raids were being conducted at pharmacies and offices to confiscate unregistered products and seal unregistered companies. He said cases had also been registered at drug courts against those found guilty of violating the act.

Those found guilty would be punished with seven to ten years imprisonment and a fine. The registration fee for companies is Rs10,000 and it varies from Rs250 to Rs2,000 for products. Over 3,000 companies are believed to be operating without registering with the authority.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 30^th, 2014.