Action launched against elements over-charging for life-saving medicines: officials

Islamabad: The Drug Control Section of Islamabad Health Department Friday said they had arrested action against elements involved in over-charging and over-pricing of medicines in the federal capital, claiming that they have injections which were being sold on double price in Islamabad.“On directions of Chairman Quality Control Board Kamran Rehman Khan, the Drug Control Section of the Health Department ICT has started taking action against over-charging / over pricing of drugs. Today, we intercepted a drug peddler and recovered injections of a life-saving medicines, which were being sold on double price than the approved price”, Sardar Shabbir Ahmed, Senior Drug Inspector Islamabad said.

He informed that on a telephonic complaint regarding black-marketing of Human Anti D Immunoglobulin and its sale at Rs 13,000 instead of approved Rs7,500 by a peddler, a trap was set in Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) by the team of Drug Control Section- Health Department ICT comprising of Drug Inspector Gulzaib Khan and Mansoor Latif. “The team successfully conducted the activity and recovered the injections from the peddler Sajjad Khan who informed that he purchased these injections from Lahore and sells at exorbitant price in Rawalpindi and Islamabad area”, Sardar Shabir Ahmed said. Legal action has been initiated against the peddler as per provisions of Drugs Act, 1976, he said adding that further investigations regarding source and quality of injection shall also be carried out.