Secy Health warns of strict action against trade of sporious drugs
By Bushra Makhdoom

ISLAMABAD—While chairing a high level meeting here today, Secretary Health Mr. Khushnood Akhtar Lashari reiterated the commitment that strict action will be taken against those involved in the spurious drugs trade.
The meeting was convened on the directives of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior to eliminate trade of spurious drugs in the country. Representatives of law enforcement agencies, federal inspectors of drugs, provincial health departments, pharmaceutical industry, chambers of commerce & trade, pharmacy wholesale and retailer associations, and senior officials of the Ministry of Health attended the meeting.
The meeting was informed that only 0.25 percent of drugs were found spurious out of over 29,000 drugs samples collected on an annual basis. The data collected over five year period show the same results. The meeting was told that the spurious drugs include adulterated allopathic drugs sold by Hakims and quakes.
The meeting discussed in detail the coordination mechanism between drug inspectors, police and Federal Investigation Agency. Secretary Health constituted a committee with representation from all the stakeholders to give specific recommendations for further improving the drugs inspection and prosecution of violators of Drugs Act 1976.
Mr. Lashari said that spurious drugs are a threat to the health of common people and cause irreversible harms. He directed the federal drugs inspectors to be vigilant in order to curb the menace of counterfeit and spurious drugs. No laxity on the part of drug inspectors shall be tolerated, he added.