Over the counter sale of drugs to be banned: Firdous

KARACHI: Federal Minister of National Regularization and Services Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan Friday said over-the-counter (OTC) sale of life saving drugs would be banned, Geo News reported.

“The government was also working on a policy under which the sale of medicines without a physician’s prescription would be a crime”, said she while addressing a press conference here at Karachi Press Club (KPC).

She said the pharmaceutical industry was being re-regulated for the first time after 1976.

“The establishment of Drug Regulatory Authority (DRA)will put an end to the manufacturing of substandard/fake medicaments for good,” said she.

She said the DRA would regulate the pharmaceutical industry, private hospitals, and laboratories including Ayurvedic and herbal medicine makers.

To a question she said licensing, registration, and pricing of drugs was federal government’s responsibility, whereas, after the 18th constitutional amendment, ensuring the standard and the availability of drugs to the consumers was provincial government’s.

Moreover expressing concern over the death of 23 people in Lahore due to overdose of a cough syrup, she said that health department was now a provincial subject and concerned government was responsible to check the quality of medicines.

She said that federal government was trying to get to the bottom of the matter.

To a question about issue of fake licenses, she replied that government is working on legislation with support of provinces to stop this malpractice.

Awan said after assuming the portfolio she had introduced many reforms in her ministry and positive results would be seen in future.

"The government will also establish an up to the mark and well-equipped laboratory at federal level to check quality of drugs", said she.