ISLAMABAD, Feb 19: Health Ministry has directed pharmacies to establish segregated and self service shelves for multivitamins and food supplement in their outlets.

According to a notification, issued by Secretary Quality Control Board Islamabad Sardar Shabbir Ahmed, in pursuance to the Cabinet decision taken during its meeting held on Feb 6, all the drug sale establishments operating in Islamabad are directed to stock and sell the vitamins, multivitamins, minerals, food supplements, nutritional products and over the counter (OTC) products, from segregated and self-service shelves.

It further stated that all establishments should ensure presence of pharmacists to supervise the sale of drugs.

Spokesperson health ministry Sajid Shah, while talking to Dawn, said that all the pharmacies will have to establish segregated shelves for the sale of vitamins and food supplements.

He also said that the health practitioners would not be allowed to prescribe vitamins and food supplements and strict action would be taken in case of violation.

Parliamentary committee passes three bills Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services on Monday passed three bills.

The meeting was held at Parliament Lodges with Senator Dr Mohammad Humayun Mohmand in the chair.

The Senate committee unanimously passed the bill titled: “The Islamabad Capital Territory Protection of Breast-Feeding and Child Nutrition Bill, 2023” with amendments.

Senator Prof. Mehr Taj Roghani, the mover of the bill, argued that mother’s milk played a pivotal role in the nutrition of the child, and it was high time to discourage young mothers from using formula milk as it contained harmful materials.

Additionally, the committee unanimously passed bills titled: “The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (Amendment) Bill, 2024” and “The Pakistan Nursing Council (Amendment) Bill, 2024”. Senator Shahadat Awan, mover of both the bills, stated that the primary purpose of the bills was to put in place the oversight of the Parliament over the PMDC and Nursing Council by making it mandatory for them to submit their report before the Parliament.

Moreover, the Senate body discussed the alarming numbers of maternal and neonatal mortality rates in the country. Senator Prof. Mehr Taj Roghani, the mover of the matter, apprised that women of the country were at war with the rising mortality rate, and yet the government had failed to formulate a decisive strategy to combat such a disaster.

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2024