ISLAMABAD: The Punjab Drug Quality Control Board (PDQCB) has taken a big step towards eliminating windfall profit on lifesaving drugs by directing to pharma companies and importers to write down the prices and other mandatory information on packing of their each product.
PDQCB has warned the pharma companies and importers through a letter that non-implementation of the orders dated June 16, 2021 is mandatory and any violation to this direction could result in initiation of legal action against them.
The PDQCB letter also directs to drug manufacturers’ importers to issue/ verify information to be printed on label/packing material according to the Drug Labeling Packing Rules 1986. It also directed to the manufacturers/ importers to note approval/ rejection report after verification of quality control parameter according to approved standard operating procedures (SoPs).
”You are thereby directed to check portfolio of all products for compliance under Drug Act 1976/ DRAP Act 2012, (Drugs Labeling and Packing ) Rules 1985 within two months in letter and spirit” PDQCB noted.
It added in future, misbranding of drugs by drug testing laboratories in Punjab may lead to legal action/ prosecution.
PDQCB’s action is a great step towards ending up windfall profit on lifesaving drugs. In the past, pharma companies and importers were not writing down the price on their products on packing leading to a windfall profit spree for drugs sellers and its victims were the buyers as they had no exact idea as to what is exact price of the drugs they were buying with hard earned money. Similarly, pharma industry in majority of the cases was not printing any information about drugs on packing. In fact, entire drug business was going on in an ambiguous environment to ensure undue profit to the drug traders.
PDQCB’s new directions is a step towards bringing transforming drugs business and help the end buyers understand what he/she was really buying for his/her money. This step will also discourage exploitation in terms of prices of different products having the same formula, which currently is common in drug business in Pakistan.
Pakistan Drug Lawyer Forum president , Noor Mahar, appreciated PDQCB’s steps to regulate drugs business and protecting the interest of the end buyers. He gave credit of this important step to the chief minister, Punjab, health minister Punjab and Secretary Primary Health care Punjab and hoped it will serve the people of the province at large besides reforming drug business in Pakistan.
