ISLAMABAD: The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) has decided to begin a campaign against advertisements from therapeutic and sex stimulant drugs that are routinely circulated in electronic and print media.

The first phase of the campaign will last three months, during which Drap will raise awareness of health issues related to these products, and in the second phase punitive action will be taken against print and electronic media platforms advertising them.

Drap CEO Dr Asim Rauf told Dawn that some marketers and doctors are even advertising medicines and therapeutic products such as antibiotics that are prohibited from being advertised under Schedule E of the Drug (Licensing, Registering and Advertising) Rules.

Three months to be devoted to awareness campaign, after which action will be taken under Drugs Act

“A number of drugs cannot be sold without a doctor’s prescription, but they are not only sold they are also advertised,” he said. These advertisements suggest uses for these products, such as for throat infections, he said.

“There was only one antibiotic for the bacterium that causes XDR typhoid fever, but we have even observed resistance in that bacteria due to the excessive use of medicines,” he said.

Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria develop the ability to defeat drugs designed to kill them. When bacteria become resistant antibiotics cannot fight them, leading to dangerous infections. And when antibiotics fail to work, the consequences are longer lasting illnesses, more doctors visits or extended hospital stays and the need for more expensive and toxic antibiotics. In some cases, antibiotic-resistant infections can lead to serious disability or death.

Dr Rauf said that even diabetes medication is being sold through electronic and social media, and those unregistered drugs can have serious health issues.

“A number of advertisements with different titles, such as ‘wedding course’, sell sex stimulants. But the fact is that asteroids are used in those products, which damage the kidney and people suffer throughout their lives,” he said.

He said the authority will run a three-month awareness campaign, after which prosecution will begin under the Drugs Act. The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority and other authorities will also be involved to take action against those involved.

In a statement issued on Sunday, a Drap spokesperson said that the authority is vigilant about illegal drug advertisements, which pose a serious threat to health.

The statement added that the Drugs Act and rules framed there under provide that permission to advertise drugs will be sought from the authority.

Unlawful promotion of therapeutic goods in print and electronic media is a cause of great concern for people’s health if not used under the prescription of a qualified physician.

It said illegal advertisements promote self-prescription, and the use of media such as newspapers, magazines, hand-outs and pamphlets, as well as social media and signboards give public misleading information if not scrutinised.

Such advertisements may contain content that promote fear or concern among the public, make false claims of treatment, include unapproved indications for the use of a medicine and ultimately endanger public health, the statement said.

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2019