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The sale and usage of spurious drugs and medicines continues unabated often at the cost of health and lives of the people. The authorities have launched a crackdown on counterfeit drugs which have flooded the market but have not yielded any significant results.
The situation turned worse when dozens of people reported loss of vision after being administered a tainted injection. An inquiry revealed that an illegal company was selling the injection which caused an adverse reaction among patients suffering from diabetes. Caretaker health minister Dr Nadeem Jan took notice and the sale of the injection has been stopped. However, the lives of several people across Punjab have been affected.
Another incident occurred when the batch of a commonly prescribed medicine for fever and body aches was found tainted. The Drug Regulatory Authority (DRAP) ordered a product recall of the locally manufactured substandard medicine. A federal drug analyst said the substandard medicine is harmful to the liver and kidney and could cause blood disorders. Just days ago, a staggering 37,000 counterfeit tablets and medicines were seized after being intercepted in a bus near Peshawar destined for Sindh.
Pakistan has been placed 13th among nations that have a prevalence of spurious drugs. It is estimated that almost half of the medicines in Pakistani markets are spurious. Many pharmacies are also found selling drugs illegally and possessing expired licenses. There are a staggering 4,000 pharmaceutical companies producing and selling drugs with limited check and balance.
Preying on the sick, making them pay exorbitant amounts, and providing fake or subpar medicines is abhorrent. It is unfortunate that counterfeit drugs are openly sold and authorities have been unable to lay a finger on the unscrupulous elements involved in this heinous business. The healthcare sector is already one of the most underfunded sectors and citizens have to resort to expensive treatments.
In 2012, a fake medicine crisis at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology claimed the lives of over 100 patients. Two factories making the contaminated Isotab tablets were sealed and the owners were arrested but years later, the probe has been brushed aside. The fact remains that spurious medicines are commonly sold in markets and are placing our lives at grave risk.
