A scandal involving counterfeit raw materials for medicines has surfaced in the Punjab medicine market, raising concerns about public health and safety.
Authorities have uncovered significant quantities of fake raw materials across various cities, prompting the ban of specific batches of five essential medicines from circulation.
The Directorate of Drug Control Punjab has taken decisive action by sealing the raw material supply chain, particularly targeting the suppliers of counterfeit materials.
DDC officials revealed that fake firms, created to conceal the true source of the materials, were responsible for delivering these counterfeit materials to unsuspecting companies. These fake firms fabricated the existence of manufacturing units in major cities like Karachi, Faisalabad, and Lahore.
According to the Drug Control Authority, these fraudulent enterprises distributed counterfeit raw materials to pharmaceutical companies, which unknowingly used them in manufacturing medicines. Consequently, certain batches of medicines have been deemed unsafe for consumption and have been withdrawn from medical stores.
Further analysis revealed that raw materials, including those used in formulations such as paracetamol, were indeed counterfeit. In response, authorities have initiated a comprehensive investigation into the source of the fake materials and the extent of their distribution.
