MULTAN, Jan 1: The Pakistan Chemist Retailers Association (PCRA) has presented an 11-point formula to the government for the improvement in the working of Drug Testing Laboratories (DILs).

The association opines the supply of quality medicines can not be ensured without bringing a qualitative change in the drug testing process which, so far, has failed to deliver due to a number of grey areas.

The PCRA urged the government to upgrade provincial DTLs by giving them the status of state-of-the-art laboratories so that the quality and efficacy of all the drugs could be checked. For this, the government should spend resources from research fund.

A foolproof system should be introduced from taking drug samples to the final report of drug analysis and ensure strict implementation on the key and lock system and the DTLs. To overcome the shortage of drug analysis, all those pharmacists and pharmaceutical chemists who fulfil the educational and experience criterion laid down in the Drug Act, 1976, be notified as drug analysis. This would also help to end monopoly of a few people in the drug analysis field.

All medicines should be sold in proper packing bearing warranty seal and method of analysis so that consumers can identify the quality drugs. The drug inspectors be asked to take samples from the manufacturers and importers and ensure non-supply of substandard batches of medicines in the market.

Instead of using either BP, USP or private standard of the manufacturers and importers, the government should introduce Pakistani standard through national formulary. The federal drug testing laboratory should be asked to give its analysis report within the prescribed time while the reports for short expiry drugs should be issued within a shortest possible time by issuing emergency SROs.

Honest and hardworking officials of DTLs be appreciated through rewards while those who do not enjoy good reputation be retired forcibly. A DTL should immediately be set up in Balochistan while in future the laboratories should be established in the areas known for pharmaceutical industry.

The non-active substance in each and every medicine should also be analysed while refresher courses for the DTL staff be held to look up their technical abilities.

The PCRA also urged the government to discourage pharmaceutical firms against over invoicing of the raw material in the country as it results in price hike of medicines.