To provide better health facilities to the masses, the Health Ministry has decided to launch a countrywide crackdown against fake and unregistered drug sellers soon. "The plan was chalked out a year ago but not implemented properly", an official in the Ministry of Health said.
He said that Islamabad Quality Control Board has joined hands with Health Ministry to launch countrywide survey for registration of all medical stores and wholesale suppliers. According to the plan, licences will be cancelled and medical stores violating Drugs Act 1976 would be sealed.
Special teams of drug inspectors would be appointed on district and provincial levels for comprehensive checking of medical stores and drug shops. The official said that all provincial health departments have agreed to take part in the campaign.
"The campaign will be initiated from federal capital for which the city has been divided into four zones where special teams would visit the stores and check the quality of medicines and the registration of documents", he said.
The official claimed that the inspection teams would be assisted by officials of federal administration to avoid any untoward situation. He said that the 15th meeting of Islamabad Quality Control Board was held with Chief Commissioner Islamabad Khalid Pervez in chair a few days ago in which eleven cases of drug law violation were discussed.
The Board has already cancelled licences of four medical stores, which include Bilal Medical Store, Seemi Medical Store, Al-Shahbaz Medical Store, New Capital, and sealed them.
He said that Swean Medical Store, Islamabad Medical Store, Al-Fizan Clinic, Jamio Pharma, and Shahaan Noori have been sealed for seven days and board has given approval to file cases against them in the court.