LATEST news reports show that medicine shops still sell many harmful medicines in different city markets even though the registrations of such medicines have been cancelled. News sources confirmed that the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) has recently banned 51 medicine brands manufactured by different local pharmaceutical companies and prohibited their production, buying, storing, marketing and showcasing. The order further said those who fail to abide by the rules would apparently face serious criminal charges while the relevant pharmaceutical companies have been asked to withdraw the drugs from the market through their own channels.
But it appears such warnings are going into the deaf ears. The drug administration are conducting drives to clean the market across the country. But the sale of the drugs is still going on ignoring the ban. The concerned drugs include all the 16 brands of medicine including Paracetamol 500 milligram and DL-Methionine 100mg as they are blamed for causing cardiovascular complication, carcinogenesis, hepatic encephalopathy, brain damage and acidosis as side effects for the presence of Methionine in the tablets.
The banned medicines also include all 20 types of Pioglitazone 30mg, three brands of Pioglitazone 45mg, five brands of Rosiglitazone 2mg and seven brands of Rosiglitazone 4mg as their side effects were found risky for human health. Medicine shops near Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, Mitford Hospital, in addition to medicine markets in Basabo, Madartek, Khilgaon, Malibagh, Pallabi and Shahbagh are still selling these brands to public.
It is alarming how the sale of those banned drugs are going on unabated. It is important that strict measures must be taken to get them off the shelf. The government knows the dangers stemming from the use of the banned medicines and it is extremely important for them to police the market and ensure that their sale has finally come to an end. It seems that the Pharmaceutical companies have not duly informed owners of many drug stores about the ban imposed on the sale of those drugs. This is partly for negligence and also for lack of accountability to the government and to the people. More awareness must be raised in people about the bad effect of those drugs as the current efforts are not enough. Moreover provision of strict punishments must be imposed on the companies who have not withdrawn their products from the market. People’s lives hang in the balance and thus proactive steps need to be taken to control the situation.
