Transparency International Warns CM Punjab Over Unregistered Drugs

Transparency International (TI) Pakistan has urgently brought to the attention of the Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz serious allegations regarding the widespread availability of substandard, spurious, and unregistered drugs in the market due to a lack of effective regulation. In a letter dated April 22, 2025, TI Pakistan forwarded a complaint detailing several critical issues. A significant number of nutraceuticals and alternative medicines are reportedly being sold without adhering to proper formulation standards, lacking validation of analytical methods, and violating labeling requirements. TI Pakistan highlighted a recent alarming incident at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology, where expired cardiac stents were allegedly administered to patients, underscoring the critical need for stricter regulation of medical devices. Despite the clear mandate assigned to drug inspectors under the Drug Act, 1976, including the oversight of alternative medicine manufacturing facilities, these inspectors have allegedly failed to ensure necessary inspections and regulatory oversight. A substantial quantity of unregistered veterinary medicines, both imported and locally manufactured, continues to be available in the market, posing a significant threat to livestock health and violating national drug laws. Given that Punjab has the largest number of drug inspectors (156), the alleged lack of effective enforcement, in violation of Section 4 of the Punjab Drugs (Amendment) Act, 2017, necessitates immediate corrective action. Based on its review, TI Pakistan stated that the allegations appear to be correct and offered the following comments: Thorough sampling and testing of all drug categories, including human pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, alternative medicines, and veterinary drugs, should be conducted to ensure quality and compliance. Medical devices with lapsed registrations, or those that are expired or unregistered, must be identified, and legal action should be taken against responsible institutions or individuals according to the law. All nutraceutical and alternative medicine manufacturing units must be inspected to verify functional laboratories and qualified quality control personnel. Non-compliance with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards should result in appropriate legal action. TI Pakistan, emphasizing its role as a non-partisan whistleblower operating under the right to information guaranteed by Article 19-A of the Constitution, urged Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to take immediate action to address these serious concerns and ensure the availability of safe and quality medicines for the public and livestock in Punjab.