Staff Reporter :
Ruhul Amin, Director of Drug Administration rejected the allegation that Drug Administration is not taking legal action against those who frequently sell fake and spurious medicines. This claims of the Director, Drug Administration is in total contradiction with recently revealed Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) report that most Drug Inspectors are taking salaries in one hand and are receiving monthly allowances from blacklisted companies on the other.
In an interview with The New Nation on Tuesday, the Director of Drug Administration said, ‘ Our Drug Supers are always vigilant against sale of fake medicines. We escort the mobile court to the pharmacies reportedly selling these kind of harmful medicines. Many offenders have been arrested and prosecuted.’
On the other hand, Md. Iftekharuzzaman, Executive Director, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), criticized the role of Directorate of Drug Administration for introducing irregularities and corruption in the system.
TIB earlier suggested amending drug-related laws, increasing manpower and logistics of the Drug Adminstration introducing one-stop and online services for companies and drug stores and taking tough action against law-breakers.
Sources have revealed that a large number of allopathic, ayurvedic, unani, herbal and homeopathic medicine companies are manufacturing spurious medicines and marketing them in the capital and the remote areas of the country.
Illiterate people and patients seeking emergency treatment are the usual victims of these fake medicines which often kill them. Mobile Courts are also working under the Directorate General of Drug Administration ( DGDA). The courts forfeit spurious medicines in various markets and punish the offenders.
The DGDA Director, vehemently protested the report of malpractice as false and fabricated. He repeatedly said that the DGDA’s role in bringing system and justice in the medicine industry in Bangladesh is praiseworthy.
‘We routinely check all pharmaceuticals to ensure that good manufacturing practice (GMP) guidelines are being followed. Any kind of discrepancy is immediately reported. Around 209 of our registered pharmaceuticals are maintaining good GMP guidelines. We have in the past cancelled licenses of those pharmaceuticals doing business only to make profit and not keeping public health issues in the forefront ‘, the DGDA Director told this Correspondent.
Ruhul Amin said, ‘The situation of pharmaceutical business in Bangladesh is now far better than before and about 95pc of demand for medicine is being met effectively by our local pharmaceuticals which are making good and safe medicines.’
The Lawyer’s community are protesting with TIB officials to take actions against malpractice of corrupted Drug Supers in Drug Administration which is a complete contradiction of the report given by the Director, DGDA.
TIB and Lawyers’ community blame the Drug Administration for laxity resulting in lack of legal action.
They also blame drug inspectors and superintendents for leniency and corruption. The Drug Administration, on the other hand, blames lack of resources.
