SUKKUR Substandard, expired and samples of drugs given free of cost to doctors by pharmaceutical companies, are being sold openly at majority of medical stores in the district and quacks' business is spreading by leaps and bounds thanks to large-scale corruption among drug inspectors.

A large number of drug wholesalers and retailers were involved in selling substandard and expired medicines and samples.

The samples of drugs supplied to government and private hospitals by pharmaceutical companies for distribution free of cost among the poor and needy, are being sold openly with complete impunity.

The survey found that majority of medical stores in Sukkur, Rohri, Pano Akil, Salehpat, Kandhra, Ali Wahan, Ghotki, Mirpur Mathelo, Ubauro, Daharki, Khairpur, Pir Jo Goth and their adjoining towns and villages were involved in selling substandard medicines, which instead of giving any relief to the patient, sometimes posed serious danger to his or her life.

Besides, number of quacks was increasing day by day, nearly hundreds only in Sukkur and its adjoining areas. These quacks are the main source of spread of hepatitis-B and C and other epidemics.

Drug inspectors and other relevant officers were pocketing hundreds of thousands of rupees per month as commission extracted from drug dealers, medical store owners and quacks. The money was handed to drug inspectors and other officers through the union of wholesale medical dealers and retailers, making sure no action is taken against them.

District Drug Inspector Sukkur confirmed reports of commission and irregularities and said that 80 cases of such medical stores were under process at the provincial quality control board and drug court of Karachi out of which 52 belonged to Sukkur only.

He said that so far many owners of medical stores had either been fined or jailed on charges of possessing substandard medicines, samples, Iranian and Indian-made drugs and even expired drugs.

He said that minutes after a quack or medical store owner was held, he would start receiving calls from many influential people, requesting him to let that person go. Some of the doctors, quacks and paramedics were even found reusing syringes as they did not have any syringe cutters at their clinics.