QUETTA, Jan 13: The Provincial Health Department has moved the drugs court against six pharmaceutical companies allegedly involved in manufacturing and marketing medicines unfit for use.On receipt of complaints, officials of the Health Department’s Quality Control Board raided medical stores and sent samples of different medicines for laboratory test, official sources told Dawn on Saturday.

Subsequently, cases against six companies were prepared and sent to the drugs court, they said.

The official sources said the health department also issued warning to 18 other companies for selling counterfeit medicines in the market. Cases of these companies could also be sent to the drugs court if they continued violation, they said.

"We have filed cases against these companies as we cannot allow anyone to play with the health of the people," said Secretary Health Shafi Zehri, hinting at action against some more companies.

He directed all drug inspectors to keep a vigilant eye on the sale of substandard medicines in their respective districts, and said strict action should be taken against those found violating the Drugs Act.

A senior official of the Quality Control Board said that action against the six pharmaceutical companies was taken after their medicines were found substandard and harmful for the human health. Notices had been issued to these companies based in Lahore and Karachi, he added.

The licence of a medical store, being run by an ineligible person, was also cancelled, he said, adding that many other stores were warned in this regard.