KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Tuesday expressed annoyance over a report of the chief drug inspector regarding sale of substandard and expired medicines and sought a comprehensive district-wise report regarding total number of registered medical stores in the province.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Salahuddin Panhwar also issued a show-cause notice to the director general health over his absence and directed the drug inspectors to pay surprise visits to medical stores.

The court also directed the provincial health secretary to include the chief drug inspector in the central purchase committee and asked the inspector general of police to provide protection and help in raids against illegal business of sale and purchase of substandard medicines.

The court issues a show-cause notice to DG health for his absence in sale of substandard, expired medicine case

The bench was hearing dozens of appeals filed by the state through the prosecutor general against the orders of the drug court asking the high court to enhance the punishment to the convicts for selling substandard and expired medicines.

In the last hearing, the bench had directed deputy commissioners, district health officers (DHOs) and drug inspectors to pay surprise visits to all medical stores within their jurisdictions, including the pharmacies in private sector hospitals, and ensure that no fake and expired medicines were sold and medicines should be provided at the market rates on presentation of prescriptions only.

The court had also directed them to recommend cases for penal action in case of any violation of law.

In its Sept 19 order, the bench also directed the chief drug inspector of Sindh to ask all the DHOs to launch a crackdown on medical stores involved in sale of substandard medicines as well as manufacturing of such medicines and register cases against them. It also asked the director general of health and chief drug inspector to file details of cases registered in this regard during the last two years.

When the matter came up for hearing on Tuesday, the chief drug inspector and his subordinates filed a compliance report.

However, the bench observed that the report was not up to the mark as it was not indicating the efforts in compliance with the directives and preparation of a mechanism to overcome these issues.

“The chief drug inspector must submit a district-wise report with regard to registration of total number of medical stores as well as place on record the policy about issuance of licence for medical store/pharmacy by the DHOs as well as sale thereof on prescription at the next hearing,” it added. The DG health was found absent and the court issued him a show-cause notice.

During Tuesday’s proceedings, it also came on record that medicines purchased by the health department were not being examined by the chief drug inspector although the use and purpose of such medicines were the same.

“Accordingly, chief drug inspector shall be the member of the central purchase committee. Secretary health shall make compliance,” the court order said.

It further said that the drug inspectors must make surprise visits and they would be competent to seek help of law enforcing agencies and judicial magistrates if so needed and directed the IGP to direct all the SSPs to provide complete protection and help during raids to be conducted on illegal business of sale and purchase of substandard medicines.

The deputy attorney general sought time to file a detailed report along with the action taken by the federal drug inspectors.

The court also issued notices to the president and secretary of Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) asking them to assist the court by suggesting some mechanism or proposals to stop supply of illegal and substandard medicines.

Adjourning the matter till Oct 8, the bench also directed the Sindh chief secretary and health secretary to ensure that all the vacant posts of drug inspectors were filled and also form a committee to study requirement of appointment of drug inspectors.

Published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2019