MIRPUR (Kashmir English): Under the spirit of ensuring provision of quality medicines to patients, eliminate the sale of narcotic medicines without doctors’ prescriptions, Deputy Drug Controller Mirpur Dr. Zaheer Iqbal Babar conducted surprise raids on medical stores and pharmacies in Mirpur city, and sealed two medical stores besides issuing warning to several others.
Noor Medical Store opposite Divisional Teaching Hospital Mirpur was sealed for selling medicines without a drug sale licence and operating without a qualified pharmacist, a spokesperson of the Mirpur District Health Office said.
Similarly, Ghafoor Medical Store Kotli Road Sector F-1 was sealed for not doing business as per departmental rules and regulations, the spokesperson said further.
On the special directives of District Health Officer Mirpur Dr. Fida Hussain Raja, Deputy Drug Controller Mirpur issued strict instructions to all distributors, pharmacies and medical store owners associated with the supply of medicines, saying the Public Health Department has issued different types of licences for the sale and supply of medicines.
The spokesperson continued that the person who has the licence is authorised to sell medicines according to the type of licence he has. Narcotic and sleeping pills and vaccines can only be sold on the prescription of doctors in the presence of a qualified pharmacist under Drug Sale Licence No. 11.
Recently, a woman in Bhimber killed her three children by buying sleeping pills from a medical store and feeding them. Due to their misuse, countless youth are becoming addict to drugs, he said.
He said that people associated with the sale of medicines should prove their responsibility. “Without qualified doctors, patients are suffering from high antibiotic medicines for pain, minor fever, flu and colds and using vaccines to charge more money from patients.” Similarly, store owners are playing with the lives of patients by misdiagnosing the patients’ disease and prescribing unnecessary medicines which is increasing the immunity of the germs that cause various diseases.
Excessive use of medicines
The reason for the misuse of medicines by a doctor is that when a patient goes to a specialist doctor and gets his disease correctly diagnosed and starts treatment, even the right medicine does not work due to the unnecessary and excessive use of medicines.
The spokesperson said to protect lives, patients should avoid unnecessary medicines, self-medication.
Pregnant and lactating women should not use any kind of medicine without the advice of doctor. The misuse of medicines by the mother can have very harmful effects on her child, the spokesperson added.
District Health Officer Mirpur issued instructions to all distributors and store owners that those who do not follow the departmental rules and instructions, supply narcotic drugs without Drug Sale Licence No. 11 and sell without a doctor’s prescription and qualified pharmacist, their drug sale licences will be canceled, FIRs will be registered and legal action will be taken against them.
