The dismissal order had to be reversed under pressure from the hospital staff, and even though the investigation led to a Karachi manufacturer, nothing came out of the effort. So far as public knowledge goes, no one was punished for causing so many deaths. Incidents such as these can easily cast a dark shadow on an otherwise promising local pharmaceutical industry at a time it is eyeing newer export markets.
In the present case, the provincial government took the standard action, seizing the stock of the syrup from the factory as well as drug stores, also arresting owners of three pharmacies in Shahdara. Initial examination reports of the seized materials is said to contain no suspicious substance. Subsequent investigations may uphold that finding, considering that all of the victims are said to be drug addicts. Those under treatment have admitted that they consumed entire bottles of the syrup in one go for its inebriating effect. The use of cough syrup to seek a high dose of sedative is not something new. But doctors treating the victims are of the opinion that mixing of the syrup with drugs proved fatal. Nothing of the sort has been reported from other areas, where some others are also quite likely to be mixing cough syrup with relaxants. The fact that all of the victims belonged to the same area indicates the local drug stores may be adding some substance on their own to enhance its appeal to addicts. Whosoever is responsible, the investigations results must be made public and those responsible held to account.
Shaken by the tragic loss of life substandard heart medicine caused in Lahore, the federal government recently enacted a much delayed law for the establishment of an autonomous Drug Regulatory Authority. The new authority ought to act urgently to abolish the sale of counterfeit and substandard medicines. The present incident also underscores the need to restrict over-the-counter sale of medicines. According to Pakistan Medical Association (PMA), the root cause of the cough syrup deaths is that medicines are freely sold without prescription. It points out that although the Pakistan Pharmacy Act, 1967, calls for supervised chemist trade and prescription of drugs by trained personnel, requiring certified drug stores to display their certificates, implementation is often dodgy. All concerned need to pay urgent attention to the issue, and put in place an effective system to stop wrong practices.