Amendment in Drug Act: pharmacies in Punjab threaten to go on indefinite strike

Owners of pharmacies and medical stores across Punjab have given April 5 as a deadline for shutter down strike for an indefinite period against the efforts of Punjab government to regularize the sector. They are concerned over the current Drug Act which, according to them, is against them as they are being penalized heavily against alleged small offences. The government believes that it is doing what it can to protect the public against the use of fake or counterfeit medicines.
The decision to stage the protest and call for strike will be taken after expiry of deadline of April 5. The meeting will be attended by 13 different representatives of pharmaceutical companies, distributors, wholesalers, pharmacists, chain pharmacies, Homeo, Tib, Unani and Herbal medicine makers, dealers and retailers. Pakistan Young Pharmacist Association and Pakistan Drug Lawyers Forum were also among the participants of the meeting.
President Drug Union Punjab, Malik Arshad Awan told Business Recorder that pharmacies and medical stores across Punjab will go on strike till their demands are met. They demanded of the government to amend the Drug Act 1976, particularly with regards to those sections which, according to them, are against the pharmaceutical community.
Pakistan Pharmaceutical Industry Report 2017 states that most of firms are in the province of Punjab in terms of production, capacity utilization, volume and size of business. According to the report, out of 759 firms, 440 are located in Punjab. Awan blamed that due to non-serious attitude of Punjab government, the exports of pharmaceutical industry have gone down by 50 percent in last four years. He said the advertisements against the pharmacists in local and international newspapers have badly affected their business abroad.
Pharmaceutical Industry Report 2017 highlighted that in 2002, the foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Pakistani pharmaceutical sector was $7.2 million. By 2008, this number increased to $46.5 million. By the end of 2012, this number dropped to $3 million. By 2014, it recovered somewhat to $15.7 million, but actually went down to negative in 2015 after which it rose up to only $3.3 million in 2016. The Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments announced changes to their rules that were enacted in Drug Act 1976 and 1982 respectively.
The results and the reaction, however, could vary from province to province. Punjab's proposed amendments to its drug law invited stern opposition from drug sellers and chemists, who took to the street in agitation. Changes in law in both the provinces are basically aimed at regulating sale of medicines in order to ensure quality, ensuring the presence of qualified chemists at every retail outlet, outlawing herbal medicine sales, and ensuring the presence of refrigerators/cooling equipment for the drugs, etc.
Arshad claimed that Pakistan's pharmaceutical products are better and cheaper than Indian products in quality and are recognized internationally. However, exports and sale of Indian industry are higher than Pakistan.