A drive against manufacturers and sellers of fake and spurious drugs has begun in the Punjab and 130 cases have been sent to drug courts. It was disclosed in a meeting of Provincial Quality Control Board Health Department, here on Tuesday, disclosed an official. Secretary Health Punjab Anwaar Ahmad Khan presided over the meeting.
The meeting reviewed different steps taken to improve the quality of medicines. It also decided 33 appeals filed against district boards and upheld 32. The Board has showed its satisfaction on the issue that the Drug Inspectors lodged FIRs on the directions of Board against Shakeel Pharmacy Kasur, New Pharmacy Sargodha and Asmat Farooq Gujranwala.
These culprits were found involved in the manufacturing selling of fake/spurious drugs. The police got registered FIRs and booked the accused persons and investigating the cases under Section 23 Drugs Act 1976.
The meeting was informed that various Drug Inspectors have launched the challans against firms/persons involved in the manufacturing/selling of illegal drugs, unwarranted drugs, stolen drugs, physician samples, without cold storage facilities, without having qualified persons and licenses.
These include Naveed Shahid of Rawalpindi, Friends Pharma of Lahore, Muhammad Dawood of Rawalpindi, Muhammad Naseer Iqbal of Gujranwala, Muhammad Jameel of Karachi, Saeed Zaman of Multan, Naeem Khan of Jampur and Muhammad Sajid of Bahawalpur.
Drugs inspectors have been directed to submit challans immediately in the Drug Courts against Al-Kareem Distributors Karachi, Pharmax Gujranwala, Liquat Medicose, Adil Medical Store, Razaq Medical Store of Gujrat, Al-Shifa Clinic, Nawaz Herbal Medicines, Passia Pharma, Sheraz Clinic of Sialkot, Nazeer Medical Store, Ilyas Medical Store, Muhammad Yousdaf Medical Store, Qadri Medical Store, Irfan Medical Store, Noorani Medical Store, Fauji Medical Store, Khan Medical Store, Al-Madina Medical Store, Bhalwal Medical Store, Shagufta Medical Store, Mahmood Medical Store, Gorayia Medical Store and Touqeer Medical Store of Hafizabad.
They all were involved in the sale of narcotic drugs, so-called sex drugs, animal drugs being used on human beings, without license and unregistered drugs. The PQCB noted with great concern that some culprits are using drugs like Sildenafil Citrate (Viagra active ingredient) and steroid like Dexamethasone in their herbal and Homoeo drugs like Majoon-Safar-Jal, Majoon Macchli, Majoon Shahad, Majoon Reg Mahi, Capsules Hydroxycut, Power N Time Tablets, Overtime tablets, Nau Bhao Tablets, Man Bhao Tablets, Cyclone Tablets, Mensonar Tablets, Warsi Pills and Sunder Beauty Capsules. The Board warned the public not to use such medicines.
After receiving laboratory reports the PQCB have cleared the challans for prosecution against the manufacturers and sellers of these drugs, which includes Al-Saudia Tibbi Foundation, Moon Medical Store Gujranwala, Salik Ahsan of Gujranwala, Adeel Babar of Gujranwala, Midway International, Al-Rehmat Medicines Gujranwala, Shahbaz Medical Store Gujranwala, Family Homeo Medical Store Gujranwala, Faraz Medical Store Gujranwala, Malik Medical Store Gujranwala, Hakim Saifullah Seikho of Raiwind Road Lahore, Sheikh Traders M B Din, Bismillah Medical Store Hafizabad, Professor Kakim Zulfiqar of Bagh-e-Luqman Lahore.
The Board recommended the prosecution of Mohammad Imran, Mohammed Ilyas, Mohammed Suleman and Muhamamd Zulfiqar of Multan City found involved in the heinous crime of the spurious manufacturing of Phenobarbitone Tablets in the name of Anglopak Pharmaceuticals Karachi. The Board allowed the registration of FIR in Police Station Sargodha for selling spurious Clomid Tablets against Rizwan Ahmad and Iftikhar Ahmad. The Board allowed the prosecution of Pervaiz Ahmad found involved in spurious manufacturing of a drug Dipyron Injections, originally a brand of Venus Pharma Lahore. Similarly, after receiving report on FIR from Sheikhupura police, the Board recommended prosecution of a gang of spurious drug manufacturers including Vector Masih, Muhammad Tanveer, Salamat Masih and Asghar Khan.
The Drug Inspector on the report of Dosaco Laboratories traced a factory being manufacturing their famous brand Diphin Injections. The board also allowed the prosecution of Malik Shahid of Lahore. He was captured by a team of Drug Inspectors and FIA Police, and a large quantity of various unregistered/spurious drugs were recovered from his custody. The Board has confirmed the registration of FIR against Prince Medical Store.
The Board recommended the prosecution of Karamat Ali and Muhammad Saeed of Faisalabad involved in the manufacturing of various pharmaceutical chemicals by way of re-packing. Those also attending the meeting were Additional Secretary Health (Tech) Dr Mushtaq Ahmad Sulehri, Professor Dr Naveed Iqbal Ansari, Professor Dr Mahboob Rabbani, Professor Arif Siddiqui and Chaudhry Saeed Anwar, Secretary Board.