The Directorate General Drug Control Administration and Pharmacy Services have unveiled their annual performance report for the year 2023. The comprehensive report highlights a rigorous inspection regime conducted on pharmacies, distributors, retailers, and pharmaceutical companies.
In 2023, a staggering 14,911 inspections took place, resulting in the sealing of 2,841 establishments on Form 6 and Form 4 for rule violations. A robust sampling initiative involved the testing of 8,866 medicine samples for quality assurance.
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Among the samples, 246 drug samples were deemed non-standard, prompting departmental action. A total of 285 medicines were found unregistered, leading to necessary measures. Additionally, 3 medicines were identified as adulterated, and 190 medicines were declared misbranded. The report disclosed the discovery of 298 spurious drugs among the samples.
Operational outcomes included the registration of 108 FIRs, with 3,147 cases handed over to the Provincial Quality Control Board. Prosecution proceedings commenced for 292 cases in drug court, resulting in the disposal of 239 cases of varying nature within the year.
The Drug Court imposed fines exceeding $7 million and issued prison terms in specific cases. Notably, 310 medical stores faced closure in 2023 due to incomplete data. The report indicates a 2% rate of non-standard medicines and less than 1% for adulterated medicines in the province during the mentioned period.