Daily Times

LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to conduct a detail inspection of all pharmaceutical manufacturing firms located across the province to check good manufacturing practice (GMP) to ensure quality of medicines

In this connection, four special inspection teams have been constituted to take action against those firms working in violation of the Drugs Act.

It is pertinent to mention here that provincial government has already constituted a Provincial Task Force for control and elimination of spurious drugs. According to the Health Department sources, a judicial tribunal probing the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC)’s spurious drug incident has expressed apprehensions that a large number of pharmaceutical companies engaged in manufacture of medicines in Punjab and other provinces may not be in compliance of provisions of the Drugs Act, 1976.

An equal number of manufacturers all over the country are not GMP compliant, they said. This is an alarming situation for the reason that the only safety net preventing such drugs from reaching hospitals, markets and patients is at the stage of manufacturing, they added.

Once a defective, contaminated or spurious drug comes out of the factory, it is extremely difficult to detect the same and where an exercise of such detection is undertaken, it takes time, effort and resources, which in most instances are not available in Pakistan.

The Punjab Provincial Quality Control Board chairperson has issued a letter to the committees, comprising senior pharmacist members, notifying them to conduct detailed inspections of pharmaceutical manufacturing firms in Punjab. These committees will inspection and screen medicines manufactured by existing pharmaceutical units.

According to the notification, Data Gang Baksh Town Drug Controller Muhammad Jamil will be the convener of the first team, while Sheikhupura Drug Controller Muhammad Arif Zahid, Kasur Drug Controller Sanaullah Sail and concerned area drug inspector are also its members.

Government Kot Khawaja Sawed Hospital Controller Shaheen Iqbal will lead the second team comprising Nishtar Town Deputy Drug Controller Armir Sadozai and concerned area drug inspector.

Punjab Chief Drug Controller Dr Zakaur Rehman will lead third team. Jinnah hospital Deputy Drugs Controller Muhammad Khalil, Children Hospital Lahore Pharmacist Usama Shah and area drug inspector are nominated as members of this committee.

Likewise, the fourth team consists of Lahore Health Services Pharmacist Directorate General Rao Alamgir, Jinnah Hospital Deputy Drug Controller Ijaz Alvi and area drug inspector. Punjab Institute of Mental Health Lahore Drug Controller Riffat Naz has been nominated as convener of this inspection team. The committees have been directed to submit their findings and recommendations with the authority for further necessary action. Noor Muhammad Mahar, a legal expert, said that the provincial government has constituted these new inspection team to inspect medical store, hospitals, pharmaceutical industry but these teams will bring zero results as the government lacks effective price check mechanism and registration process.

“Drug Regulatory Authority Pakistan (DRAP) or the provincial government doesn’t have any official websites for verification of prices,” he said, adding that in Punjab there is no need to have drug inspectors until establishing proper systems, training and official websites.