In 2012, at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology a spurious drug claimed the lives of 100 patients. What happened to other 45,000 cardiac who too took the same fake medicine is not known. One of the three companies who manufactured this medicine was still in business of producing this drug despite the fact that its licence had expired. It had continued to manufacture the said 'medicine' in bulk for government hospitals and open market. How come nobody here in the country took notice of these failings? But someone beyond our national borders did: Sri Lanka banned import of medicines from Pakistan and the World Health Organisation (WHO) issued a global warning against this company. If the situation is any better since then one is not sure. However, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) has launched a three-month campaign to fight the drug mafia, mainly by raising public awareness about the jinni of spurious, substandard medicines. According to Drap, the campaign is being launched with a "focus on people's access to quality-assured, safe, effective and affordable medicines, under the national goal of Health for All." This is going to be the second campaign of the type, with results of the first one being touted as 'very encouraging'. The authority also reminded the people that last year, hundreds of sales outlets and illegal and non-compliant manufacturing units were sealed, while over 1,000 FIRs were registered and several people were arrested and imprisoned. In April this year, the federal cabinet did decide that henceforth medicines sold would bear barcodes on their packages. The cabinet also decided to amend the Drug Act accordingly. But that remained an unfulfilled promise. There is not much of progress on introducing the barcodes though the Drap in agreement with Ministry of National Health Services has been working on this project for the last two years. End of the year is now the final deadline for full enforcement of barcodes.
Spurious medicines and adulterated food items constitute a huge national challenge. While people are fed dead animal meat and cockroach-enriched dishes even in some plush restaurants, the unscrupulous people mint billions by mixing pesticides, rat poison, brick dust and paint among other ingredients to manufacture fake medicines. How roaring is this business could be ascertained from the fact that in 2016 3,592 medical outlets and factories were sealed in Punjab alone. One must not also lose sight of the fact that some printing houses have specialized the art of printing new expiry dates on expired imported goods. The concerned departments are therefore required to go beyond their present mandate and propose tough penalties on errant manufacturers and the vendors in the market. Causing deaths by delivering adulterated food and fake medicines is a serious, unforgivable crime. Realising the gravity of the situation, Drap, in its Independence Day press release has unveiled intention to meet heads of Customs, FBR, FIA and other law-enforcement agencies. We earnestly join the nation in wishing Drap Godspeed.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2017
