Staff Reporter :
About 93 per cent pharmacies in the capital were found to keep date expired drugs although it is completely prohibited, according to the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection.
The directorate, in between November 2018 and April 2019, conducted mobile court drives at 200 pharmacies in different areas of the city, including Gulshan, Mirpur, Kalabagan and found expired drugs at 186 stores.
As an action, the national consumer rights body also awarded different amount of fine to the pharmacy owners and sealed some of the stores on a temporary basis.
Monjur Mohammad Shahriar, Deputy Director of the directorate, unveiled the findings at a discussion held at AKM Giasuddin Milky Auditorium in the city on Monday.
Bangladesh Supermarket Owners’ Association organised the event on the occasion of the World Food Safety Day, observed on June 7.
Speaking at the programme, Monjur said, “It is very much alarming for the nation that the majority of the pharmacies in the capital
were found to keep expired drugs.”
“I fear that the situation of the entire country is worse as whatever irregularities we have found so far happened in Dhaka city only,” he added.
After finding such irregularities, the consumer rights body informed the Department of Drug Administration about it and had several round of talks with the pharmacy owners’ association in this regard.
“We tried our best to make the pharmacy owners aware through the talks. As a result of that, I believe the situation is improving gradually,” said Monjur.
He also said that they directed the drug stores to keep the expired drugs separated from other medicines and put the tag “Not for Sale” on the packets.
The government official shared the data of their mobile court drives conducted in between January and April this year. The newspapers also reported that a total of 100 stores were fined in the four months for selling expired drugs.
About 93 per cent pharmacies in the capital were found to keep date expired drugs although it is completely prohibited, according to the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection.
The directorate, in between November 2018 and April 2019, conducted mobile court drives at 200 pharmacies in different areas of the city, including Gulshan, Mirpur, Kalabagan and found expired drugs at 186 stores.
As an action, the national consumer rights body also awarded different amount of fine to the pharmacy owners and sealed some of the stores on a temporary basis.
Monjur Mohammad Shahriar, Deputy Director of the directorate, unveiled the findings at a discussion held at AKM Giasuddin Milky Auditorium in the city on Monday.
Bangladesh Supermarket Owners’ Association organised the event on the occasion of the World Food Safety Day, observed on June 7.
Speaking at the programme, Monjur said, “It is very much alarming for the nation that the majority of the pharmacies in the capital
were found to keep expired drugs.”
“I fear that the situation of the entire country is worse as whatever irregularities we have found so far happened in Dhaka city only,” he added.
After finding such irregularities, the consumer rights body informed the Department of Drug Administration about it and had several round of talks with the pharmacy owners’ association in this regard.
“We tried our best to make the pharmacy owners aware through the talks. As a result of that, I believe the situation is improving gradually,” said Monjur.
He also said that they directed the drug stores to keep the expired drugs separated from other medicines and put the tag “Not for Sale” on the packets.
The government official shared the data of their mobile court drives conducted in between January and April this year. The newspapers also reported that a total of 100 stores were fined in the four months for selling expired drugs.
