Saving lives: Crackdown against spurious drugs underway

Divisional Task Force Secretary Ehsan Lothar said those found violating the law had been fined Rs1.42 million

BAHAWALPUR:

Strict action will be taken against those involved in manufacturing and selling fake and unregistered medicines, Divisional Drug Control Task Force chairman Qazi Adnan Fareed said on Sunday. “Those found violating the law will be arrested on the spot.”

Fareed was addressing a meeting with the Drug Control Divisional Task Force. He said drug inspectors have been told that following a raid, the data collected should be uploaded to monitoring software. He said they must also geo-tag all medical stories, hospitals and associated pharmacies.

“Drug inspectors must ensure 100 per cent implementation of the Drug Control Ordinance and cannot show leniency in this regard.”

Bahawalpur Division Commissioner Saqib Zafar told drug inspectors to ensure that medicines, other than over-the-counter drugs, were sold on prescription only.



Divisional Task Force Secretary Ehsan Lothar said in September, so far, the drug inspectors in Bahawalpur Division had obtained 995 samples of medicines and them sent to a laboratory for testing. He said those found violating the law had been fined Rs1.42 million and FIRs had been registered against 15 people. He said during their raids, expired medicines had been recovered from 12 shops and clinics of 211 quacks had been sealed.

Drug inspectors from three districts, the health EDO and director, the drug controller, deputy drug controller, and officials of the drug testing laboratory attended the meeting.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 7^th,  2015.