Pakistan Pharmaceuticals Manufacturers Association (PPMA) has gone on strike Monday against the new drug act in Punjab, and medical stores in several cities have been closed.
People are facing difficulties in getting medicines as pharmacies in different cities of Punjab including Lahore, Rahim Yar Khan and Vehari are closed.
Pharmaceutical associations of Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) have also announced to support this strike.
On the other hand, internal differences between PPMA and Pakistan Chemists’ & Druggists’ Association (PCDA) have arisen as well.
One group has announced strike and other has negotiated with Punjab’s Minister for Primary & Secondary Health Khawaja Imran Nazeer and decided to postpone strike till February 17.
It is pertinent here to mention that according to new drug act in Punjab, punishment of five-year jail with one million rupees fine has been announced for those who will sale substandard medicines, five-year jail and five crore rupees fine for those who will sale fake medicines, ten-year jail and ten crore rupees fine for those who will sale medicines without license.
