PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has banned over-the-counter sale of all TB drugs after reports by experts that availability of drugs in the market had caused rise in multi-drug resistant TB, which caused complications in patients’ treatment.

The government has amended the relevant rules after which anti-TB drugs wouldn’t be sold by medical stores without prescription of qualified persons, a statement issued here on Wednesday said.

It said the patients stopped and resumed their treatment whenever they wanted, thus becoming resistant to all medications against TB.

Meanwhile, a notification issued by Abid Majeed, secretary health, said unregulated sale of substandard and low quality drugs harmed people’s health. Citing report of the World Health Organisation, it said that unlawful trade of anti-TB drugs led to multi-drug resistant (MDR) form of the disease and urged people to visit government-run TB centres to avoid complications.

TB, the notification said, was curable disease provided the patient contacted doctor at the right time. It said the health department had the powers under the Drug Act, 1976, to take steps for provision of safe medicines to citizens.

The notification said the violators would face penalties under the law.

It quoted the experts as having suggested the ban to put brakes on the multi-drug resistant TB which was spreading fast among the patients, who started and stopped treatment on their own. Free drugs were available at TB centres in all hospitals of the province where the patients also got free diagnostic services and asked the people to avoid taking more drugs and stay safe from complications.

The people should contact their nearest hospitals in case of having coughs and fever associated with chest pain or shivering to undergo an X-ray of chest and sputum examination free of cost, advised the notification.

Published in Dawn, September 1st, 2016