Authorities in Punjab have sounded an alarm over the safety of widely used medicines after 10 drugs, including several critical life-saving treatments, were found to be substandard. The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has acted swiftly, issuing an immediate ban on specific batches of these medications to protect public health.
As per local media reports, the samples of the medicines were sent to a drug testing laboratory, where reports found the quality of 10 drugs to be extremely poor. The substandard medicines include treatments for allergies, heart conditions, skin infections, cold and flu, and eye disorders.
The allergy medication “Dizy” was found substandard, while the heart attack preventive drug “Ascad” was also deemed harmful. Similarly, “Kanadex”, used for treating skin infections, has been prohibited.
Cold and flu medicines have also been banned, as well as the eye drops “Nafen”. Moroever, an injection used for treating fine veins in the hands and feet was included in the list of substandard medicines.
These medicines were manufactured in pharmaceutical companies located in Karachi’s SITE Area and Manghopir, as well as in Lahore’s Sunder Industrial Area and Raiwind Road.
DRAP has banned the sale and use of the specific batches of all affected medicines, with further action underway.
