SIALKOT
Unhygienic homeopathic and herbal medicines, food supplements and other products are being sold in the market without their proper clinical tests required by the law that has not been implemented since it was formed some 18 months ago.
Despite the presence of rules, no action has so far been taken against the manufacturers of these products. Sources said that there was no company having a license to manufacture these products. However, the markets are filled with therapeutic products that are not clinically tested to ascertain their quality and efficacy.
In January 2013, the powers were conferred under section 23 of Drugs Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) Act 2012, to monitor the manufacturing of such products.
The Therapeutic Goods Rules 2013 seek registration of all therapeutic (alternative medicines, health supplements and health products) manufacturers and also prescribed licensing of all their products.
As per the rules, if a manufacturer is preparing therapeutic products on seven different premises, he is bound to get one original and 6 loan licenses for other six campuses so that a complete check could be maintained on the manufacturing process. The provincial secretaries health are the authority to issue licenses for the manufacturing of homeopathic and herbal medicines, food supplements and therapeutic goods.
According to the rules, therapeutic products shall be tested by the health department and separate certificates be given for each product. The manufacturers are made bound to get their products clinically tested so that their adverse effect may well be ascertained beforehand.
When contacted, Punjab Secretary Health Dr Ejaz Muneer said, “I have recently been posted and if any such thing exists, I simply don’t know. However, I have learnt from sources that the federal government is up to something in this regard.” However, the secretary health pledged that he would go through the rules and devise a policy on therapeutic goods manufacturers in a couple of weeks.