‘45pc of Pakistan-made medicines spurious’, says US report

KARACHI: A report carried by a US media outlet has made shocking disclosure that 45 percent medicines available to the consumers in Pakistan are not just spurious but contain ingredients that can pose serious threat to people’s health.

The report raises the alarm by stating that some of these medicines contain hazardous ingredients including ground bricks, paint and even pesticides.

What is highly alarming is the fact that this unholy game of distributing death continues with impunity, as it seems there is no regulatory authority in the country to ensure strict checks on quality standards of medicines the purpose of which should be to save lives and not the vice versa.

However, the legal head of Pakistan Pharma Manufacturing Association (PPMA), Zahid Saeed rejected the report, terming it contrary to the facts.

He said there are 550 pharmaceutical companies in Pakistan whose combined production meets 90 percent requirement of the country. He, however, admitted that spurious medicines are produced in the country.

In 2012, the government did adopt some measures to ensure quality standards of medicines being manufactured in the country. These measures included setting up of a drug regulatory authority besides drug testing laboratories at provincial level. But, their performance remains far from being satisfactory.

The government’s lack of seriousness in this regard can be assessed from the fact that there are only 25 drug testing inspectors across the province of Sindh.