Pharmacists To Observe Strike On March 5 In Rawalpindi

Rukhshan Mir (@rukhshanmir) Published February 26, 2018 | 11:12 PM

Traders belonging to pharmaceutical business would observe strike on March 5, all over the province against amendments in the draft of Drug Act 1976 and Drug regulatory Act 2012.

RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Feb, 2018 ) :Traders belonging to pharmaceutical business would observe strike on March 5, all over the province against amendments in the draft of Drug Act 1976 and Drug regulatory Act 2012.

Addressing a press conference here at Rawalpindi Press Club, President Pharmaceutical Traders Association Arshad Awan said that Chemists and Druggists would protest against amendments in the draft of Drug Act 1976 and Drug Regulatory Act 2012.

He urged Punjab government to take key stakeholders on board regarding the amendments in the draft of Drug Act 1976 and Drug regulatory Act 2012. Arshad said that earlier provincial government had formed a committee comprising provincial ministers to resolve the issue and amendments were made in the Drug Act, 2017 with the consultation of pharmaceutical traders.

The government had promised the traders that new act prepared in consultation with traders would be passed by the provincial assembly but it did not do so, he added.

The pharma industry was not against amendments however there should be rationale and the local industry must be protected, he added.

He said that elements involved in manufacture and sale of spurious medicines were enemies of humanity and should be awarded deterrent punishment. However he urged the government to identify the real culprits rather than harassing traders and manufacturers in the name of quality checks.

The Punjab Assembly had passed the Drug Act 1976 on February 8, 2017 according to which the sale of medical drugs which are below the acceptable standards will be punishable by imprisonment ranging from 6 months to 5 years and also a fine of Rs 1 to 5 million.

If a qualified person is not available, then a fine of Rs 500,000 to 5,000,000 could be imposed as well as imprisonment from 30 days to five years.