To combat the manufacturing of spurious drugs and quackery in Punjab "Drug Rules 2007" are being amended to award exemplary punishment to the violators while network of drug inspectors would also be purged of corrupt, dishonest and bad reputed elements.
Dr Saeed Elahi, chairman of the Chief Minister's Task Force on Spurious Drugs, has said that recommendations are being formulated for necessary amendments to the 'controversial' Drug Rules 2007 to eliminate the menace of spurious drugs and quackery from the province.
He was talking to local newsmen on Tuesday. He said "Punjab Drugs Rules 2007 will be replaced with Drugs Rules 2009 after incorporating necessary amendments to remove lacunae in the law." Dr Saeed said amendments to Drugs Act 1976 would also be proposed and recommendations would be sent to the federal government after approval of the Punjab chief minister. "All those involved in this scandal would be brought to justice," he said, adding that notices were being issued to the importer of the raw material, as it was a violation of Drugs Act 1976. He said there was no place in Punjab for illegal traders, substandard and spurious drug manufacturers and that the government would eliminate illegal drug trade.
He said the government was taking all-out measures to protect and promote pharmaceutical industry. He said manufacturers of standard medicines would be encouraged but the drug mafia would be taken to task.
He made it clear that nobody would be harassed but the people involved in the trade of spurious medicines would be dealt with an iron hand. He said that three task forces were working to eliminate spurious and substandard medicines and members were working voluntarily and paying all expenditures from their own pocket.
He said that more than 20 tonnes of raw material worth over Rs 200 million was seized from a private factory in Lahore in the area of PCSIR laboratory from which spurious medicines worth billions of rupees could be manufactured. He disclosed that caffeine weighing four tonnes was also included in the raw material. "The factory owner, Arshad - an electrical engineer - has been arrested and a FIR was also registered against him in Sattu Katla police station," he said. It's for the first time that that owner of the warehouse had been arrested instead of poor employees and cases had been registered against him under the law.