LAHORE - Closure of medical stores against recent amendments in Drug Act caused huge inconvenience to patients across the province including Lahore yesterday.

As many as 14 bodies of manufacturers, distributors, retailers and pharmacists had announced strike to press for the demand of withdrawal of recent amendments in Drug Act that enhanced punishment for manufacturing and selling substandard and spurious drugs.

As owners of most of the pharmacies closed businesses to participate in the protest rally from Lahore Press Club to the Punjab Assembly and stage a sit-in at Faisal Chowk, the patients were the ultimate sufferer of this unusual situation. Closure of more than 80 per cent medical stores forced the patients to approach emergencies of hospitals and model pharmacies inside the health facilities for getting necessary medicines.

Extra ordinary rush of patients from outside caused severe shortage of many lifesaving drugs at model pharmacies inside the hospitals.

Hundreds of pharmacists, chemists and owners of therapeutic goods gathered outside Lahore Press Club in the afternoon from where they marched to the Punjab Assembly for staging a sit-in that continued till a suicide strike, killing 14 people and wounding more than 80.

Closure of Faisal Chowk for traffic caused massive traffic jam on The Mall and adjoining roads for hours. Addressing the participants, President Pakistan Drug Lawyers Forum Dr Noor Muhammad Mahar said that millions of families were directly and indirectly attached with the business of therapeutic goods and pharmaceuticals. The abusive laws were unconstitutional which would result in the destruction of pharmaceutical industry, he added.

Dr Mahar argued that cognizance of any negligence by doctor was taken by PMDC and advocates by Bar Councils but highly qualified professionals in pharmaceutical industries would be taken to task directly by law enforcement agencies.

Pakistan Young Pharmacist Association General Secretary Dr Haroon Yousaf said that derogatory laws against pharmacists would cause them to leave the country for earning respectable livelihood.

PYPA Joint Secretary Dr Hina Shaukat hinted that pharmacists may concentrate on SME Pharmaceutical business, which may start from one-room manufacturing facilities. “It will result in elimination of spurious, counterfeit, adulterated, misbranded and substandard drug from Pakistan,” she added.

She urged the government to withdraw amendments in the larger interests of the patients and pharmaceutical industry.

Addressing a press conference at the committee room of Directorate General Public Relations yesterday, Minister for Primary and Secondary Health Kh Imran Nazir said that the basic objective of introducing amendments in the Drug Act-1976 was to ensure provision of quality medicines. He stated that manufacturing and sale of spurious and substandard medicines would not be tolerated and such elements would be sent to jail.

Saying the medical stores and chemists have been misguided for vested interests, the minister clarified that the government was working on amendments for the last one and a half year. During the period, Salman said, all the stakeholders were consulted.

According to the minister, six months imprisonment and heavy fine could be imposed for manufacturing substandard medicines. Life imprisonment and heavy fine of millions of rupees could be awarded to the manufacturers of spurious drugs, he added.

“The medicines not having prescribed quantity of active ingredients are injurious for human health,” Salman held.

He further said that medical stores have no concern with the amendments of drug act which was meant for the manufacturers.

Salman also said that the government was ready to provide safety-valve to differentiate between science and crime so that it could be decided whether there was a mistake or intention involved in making any substandard medicine. However, nobody could be allowed to force the government to impose his or her choice, he added.

He announced that herbal production units would also be regulated and they have to adopt the “Good Manufacturing Practices” and register themselves with the DRAP. If other provinces were not taking any step, Salman said, it was not a mistake of Punjab government.

He once again reiterated that nobody would be allowed closing medical stores by force. “Police have been asked to deal with such elements with iron hands. The situation is normalising gradually and big medical stores chains have been opened and it will further improve tomorrow (Tuesday,” the minister told the media.

He assured that that government would take every step and utilise all resources to maintain uninterrupted medicines supply to the people.