The Punjab government has taken concrete steps to eradicate menace of spurious and substandard medicines from Punjab province. "Besides up-gradation of drug testing laboratories, the government was introducing amendments to drugs laws to increase punishment for the culprits, sources told Business Recorder.
Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has constituted task forces on spurious drugs which have carried out 37718 raids across the province, got registered 158 cases and sealed 1768 drug stores. About Rs 38.8 million were recovered as fine from owners of drug shops, sources said.
They said that during the last three years billions of rupees have been spent on the up-gradation of drug testing laboratories and installation of the latest equipments. It may be noted that the government had amended the Drug Act-1976, under which those dealing in spurious and unlicensed medicines could be imprisoned for 10 years and fined Rs 5 million.
The government is also encouraging those manufacturers who are producing good quality medicines, they added The Punjab Chief Minister had directed concerned health officials to regularly inspect medicine manufacturing units. Further, the performance of the Provincial Quality Control Board is being monitored. A forensic audit of the board's performance is being planned. The chief minister also called for making an effective mechanism for sending samples of medicines abroad for inspection besides scope of the drug monitoring system should be extended to all divisional headquarters. An effective accountability system was imperative to rid the province of spurious drugs, he emphasised.