RAWALPINDI: Chemists and medical store owners went on strike for an undefined period in Rawalpindi on Thursday against the Punjab government for not revising the Punjab Drugs Amendment Bill 2017 despite promising to do so.

All chemist shops on The Mall, Saddar, Bohar Bazaar, Murree Road and other areas of the city and cantonment remained closed, creating problems for patients.

Drug store owners and their workers established camps in front of The Mall and Bohar Bazaar where they displayed banners to condemn the provincial government for making amendments in the Punjab Drug Act.

The pharmacy inside Benazir Bhutto Hospital was open, while those outside were closed.

“The strike will continue in Rawalpindi and other parts of the province,” said Pakistan Chemist and Druggist Association Chairman Malik Arshad Awan while talking to Dawn.

He said all chemists shops will be open in Islamabad as chemists are protesting against laws made by the Punjab government which will not be implemented in Islamabad.

The Punjab government approved the Punjab Drugs Amendment Bill 2017 on Feb 8, 2017 in which the manufacturer, importer or seller of a spurious, adulterated or unregistered drug shall be punished with at least three years and up to 10 years’ imprisonment and fined Rs25 million to Rs50 million.

If the drug is found in a chemists shop and drug inspector or drug laboratory found it to be spurious then the owner of the business will face six months to three-year imprisonment and fine between Rs100,000 and Rs1 million.

“The government will take action against fake drugs but the new law is not limited to spurious drugs and the drug inspectors may fine a chemist if they find any drug that does not meet the standard. We demand to that international laws be implemented for this,” he said.

Mr Awan said that the Pakistan Chemist and Druggists Association had given three days time to the Punjab government to take action on this issue and make amendments in the law in the current session of the Punjab Assembly.

On the other hand, the patients faced challenges due to the closure of chemists’ shops.

“My father is a heart patient and I had to refill his prescription but the shops were closed,” said Mohammad Asif, a resident of Sadiqabad. He said he had to get the medicine from Islamabad.

“It is disturbing that chemists in Punjab go on strike so often,” he said.

Israr Asghar, a resident of Eidgah, said that he visited three markets on Thursday to purchase medicines for his six-year-old daughter suffering from sore throat and fever but did not find a shop that was open.

He said that he went to Benazir Bhutto Hospital pharmacy but he was unable to buy the medicines there.

“I bought the medicine from Blue Area in Islamabad so my daughter will have relief in her symptoms,” he said.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2018