LAHORE, 31: Chemists in Punjab will launch a protest drive from Sept 7 if the government does not withdraw the new drug rules.

Pakistan Chemists Retailers Association chairman Muhammad Ishaq Mayo said this at a news conference here on Friday.

He said the owners of the medical stores should be declared qualified persons for running the business on the basis of their education and expertise under the Pakistan Drug Rules 1958.

He said the health department should check the supply of substandard medicines in the markets, as chemists could not be made responsible for this. He pointed out that the importers and big pharmaceutical distributors were transporting medicines after loading them on the trucks and wagons without maintaining the temperature of the life-saving medicines but authorities concerned were not checking this.

He said the new rules were against the growth of medical stores and would benefit multinationals. He said the chemists associations had written to the governor, chief minister and health secretary but had not received any positive response as yet.