Crackdown on Spurious Medicines in KP
Health Department has urged citizens to buy medicines exclusively from licensed pharmacies and to report any suspicious or unregistered drugs
peshawar
In a significant move to curb the circulation of counterfeit medicines, the Provincial Quality Control Board (PQCB) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa concluded 96 cases over two consecutive meetings held on September 10 and 11 in Peshawar.
The meetings, part of the Good Governance Roadmap initiative, were chaired by Secretary Health Shahid Ullah Khan and attended by board members, representatives of the Pakistan Chemist & Druggist Association (PCDA), and the Provincial Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA).
The cases were brought forward under Section 11 of the Drug Act 1976 by Drug Inspectors from the Directorate General Drug Control & Pharmacy Services. These included reports from various districts such as Peshawar, Charsadda, Haripur, Bannu, Mardan, Nowshera, Battagram, D.I. Khan, Kohat, and Mansehra. Each case was examined in detail in the presence of the accused, the concerned Drug Inspectors, and officials from the Drug Testing Laboratory.
Following thorough deliberations, the Board ordered the lodging of 29 First Information Reports (FIRs), while 36 cases were referred to Drug Courts for further legal proceedings.
Additionally, 18 cases were sent to the Appellate Laboratory at the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Islamabad for retesting under Section 22(5) of the Drug Act. Seven warnings were issued to violators, two cases were remanded back to Drug Inspectors for further investigation, and four cases were deferred to the next Board meeting.
In several instances, drug sale licenses were cancelled and medical outlets were sealed for selling spurious and unregistered medicines.
Reaffirming its zero-tolerance policy towards counterfeit drugs, the Board directed the launch of a province-wide awareness and enforcement campaign. It also instructed PCDA and PPMA representatives to initiate awareness efforts within their respective sectors, emphasizing the importance of purchasing medicines only from authorized distributors, maintaining proper purchase warranties, and ensuring full compliance with drug laws and regulations.
The Health Department has urged citizens to buy medicines exclusively from licensed pharmacies and to report any suspicious or unregistered drugs to the nearest Drug Inspector or the Directorate General Drug Control & Pharmacy Services.
