LAHORE: In an unprecedented move, the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department (P&SHC) has decided to enforce drug regulation laws for inspection and monitoring of distributors and point of sales of medicines by third party contractors. The P&SHC department is allegedly trying to getting rid of its responsibility and converting regular process into a contractual one, causing frustration among pharmacists. According to the Drug Act 1976, the provincial government may, by notification in the official gazette, appoint such persons as it thinks fit, having prescribed qualifications, to be provincial inspectors for the purposes of this act within such local limits as it may assign to them respectively. The act says that a drug inspector shall inspect any premises wherein any drug is manufactured, the plant and process of manufacture, the means employed for standardising and testing the drugs and all relevant records and registers. A drug inspector shall also inspect any premises wherein any drug is sold or is stocked or exhibited for sale or is distributed, the storage arrangements and all relevant records and registers. Noor Muhammad Maher, a renowned pharmacist, said this was against the law. “Only drug inspectors who are appointed according to the Drug Act 1976 can discharge the above said responsibilities.” He said the government should take all stakeholders into confidence and revamp existing system to ensure good quality of medicines in Punjab. Sources claimed that poor performance of drug inspectors has forced the government to outsource the whole process. Now national service providers, having adequate experience of inspections and enforcement of regulatory requirements prescribed under regulatory bodies’ national/international, would be hired as third party contractors. Selected firms shall be bound to perform all functions prescribed under drugs laws regarding points of sales including pharmacies, medical stores in Lahore and Faisalabad districts. They said that selected firm shall also be responsible for inspecting point of sales to ensure good storage, sales practices and enforcement of drug laws and rules, besides risk based sampling inspection, ensuring conditions of licences are being observed. A service firm or a designated representative of a firm will be authorized to take samples of the drug and send it for an analysis or seize the equipment, if he may find it that it is being manufactured, sold, stocked or exhibited for sale in contravention of the drug laws. Performing any other function under the drugs acts including though not limited to investigate any complaint made to him [designated authority] in writing against a person and submit a report of investigation to the provincial or the district quality board that may initiate prosecution on the directions of the provincial or the district board and to pursue cases in the court. When contacted, Additional Drug Control Secretary Dr Sohail declined to give any statement.