NAWABSHAH, Feb 1: The tablet Isotab, which has been found to have caused the death of 123 heart patients in Punjab, is available in all major pharmacies and medical stores of Nawabshah.

A survey conducted by Dawn revealed that the tablet was being sold openly at all pharmacies and medical stores in the absence of any directive from the Sindh health department.

According to a report issued by government, the drug was supposed to contain an anti-malarial chemical 14 times in excess of the required quantity.

The drug, which is available in tablets of 20mg and 40mg, is recommended for heart patients, especially those who have a history of angina attacks.

An owner of a medical store told this correspondent that the tablet was available at almost all stores in the city. A sales representative of a pharmaceutical company visited him on Wednesday to know whether he needed more supplies of Isotab.

“I told the representative that the drug is being suspected of having some problem. But the representative told me that he had not received any information from his company,” the owner added.

An official of the firm which supplies the drug said his company had stopped the supply of Isotab 15 days ago.

Deedar Rind and Shakeel Rajput, president and general secretary of the Chemists Association of Nawabshah, however, said they had received a list from the health department for immediately stopping supply of a number of drugs. But the list did not include Isotab, they added.