'Stern action to be taken against spurious drug makers'

The Chairman Chief Minister Task Force on Spurious Drugs Dr Asad Ashraf has said that stern action would be taken against those who are producing substandard medicines and harming the pharmaceutical industry for their petty gains.
While addressing at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) here on Friday, the Task Force Chairman said the government is well aware of the fact that a few non-qualified people are tarnishing the image of whole pharmaceutical industry.
He said the present provincial government is evolving a solid strategy to ensure health and education facilities to all the segments of the society. Speaking on the occasion, LCCI President Muhammad Ali Mian said that Pakistan has about 400 pharmaceutical manufacturing units including those operated by 25 multinationals present in the country. Pharmaceutical industry of Pakistan meets around 70 percent of the country's demand of finished medicine. The domestic pharmaceutical market, in term of share market is almost evenly divided between the nationals and the multinationals.
He said although Pakistan's pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors are expanding and evolving rapidly, however, 50 percent of the population has no access to modern medicines.
Speaking on the occasion, Chairman Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association Kashif Sajjad Sheikh said the whole Pharma industry is behind the government and would extend full co-operation to it in its drive against non-qualified people who are defaming pharmaceutical industry. He said Pakistan's pharma industry is relatively young in the international markets with an export turnover of over US $100 million as of 2007.
Like domestic market the sales in international market have gone almost double during last five years. The pharma industry is focusing to an export vision of US $500 million by 2013. In the meantime, exports are also likely to be boosted by new regional and global opportunities, he said. Senior Vice President Mian Muzaffar Ali, Chairman Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA) Kashif Sajjad Sheikh, LCCI former President Mian Misbahur Rehman, Vice Chairman PIAF Khawaja Shahzeb Akram and a number of Pharma Industry representatives were also present.