The Punjab government on Tuesday decided to declare sale and manufacturing of fake medicines a non-bailable crime while number of task forces conducting crackdowns against the menace has been increased to four.
This was said by Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Shahbaz Sharif while addressing a gathering at the Civil Secretariat Lahore via video link.
He said that people involved in production of fake medicines are enemies of humanity.
The CM said that the government would not spare such culprits who cut deals on expense of people’s lives. He issued directives to the authorities concerned to finalise the Amendment in Drug Act 1976 as soon as possible.
He said that drug inspectors guilty of being accomplice would not be spared.
He said that the government would conduct geo-tagging of units of the manufacturers.
He ordered the authorities to speed up process of establishment of independent drug authority in Punjab and ordered provincial Quality Control Board to improve its performance.
He further ordered authorities to appoint new pharmacists and drug inspectors through Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) on immediate basis.