New regulatory body in health to serve industry, fears TheNetwork

international | consumer issues | news report Tuesday October 17, 2006 16:48 by Qasim Rajpar - Daily Awami Awaz karachi

ISLAMABAD , Pakistan: TheNetwork for Consumer Protection while branding the proposed Drug Regulatory Authority (DRA) as eyewash has termed it an attempt to divert the attention of people from real health issues.

ISLAMABAD , Pakistan: TheNetwork for Consumer Protection while branding the proposed Drug Regulatory Authority (DRA) as eyewash has termed it an attempt to divert the attention of people from real health issues.

“There is nothing new in proposed Authority. Instead of providing any measures to improve regulation it seems to serve the pharmaceutical industry at the cost of public interest”, TheNetwork’s Executive Coordinator Ayyaz Kiani said while addressing a press conference here on Monday.

Ayyaz Kiani said that in the context of Supreme Court’s suo moto on spurious drugs and a growing awareness among masses about the dismal picture in the pharma sector, the government has come up with a cosmetic step of establishing DRA. “The Drug Control Organization, which is being replaced by the new authority, could have been used effectively if the rules and provisions provided in the Drug Act of 1976 were implemented in letter and spirit”, he remarked.

Kiani said that a cursory survey of the draft law available on the MoH website shows that

it does not offer substantial changes in the existing situation on which the Honorable Supreme Court has already shown much concern. The proposed law is flawed and does not fulfill the promises made to the Honorable Court. It appears that the changes are aimed at some convenient administrative reshuffling and will at best bring only superficial and cosmetic changes..

“The government, through this authority is deliberately loosening its grip on regulation and this crucial part, which can guarantee the quality of pharma products and services, is being given in the hands of industry, whom this authority is supposed to control”, he added.

“The government step to introduce a new regulatory authority does not make sense when a good law Drug Act 1976 is already there. What the Ministry of Health needed was to implement this Act, the portions of which were never implemented, rather than making another parallel body”, Tauqeer Mustafa, Pharmaceuticals Coordinator of TheNetwork, who also addressed the press conference said.

“Health sector should not have been dealt with like telecom or power sector where the consumers’ grievances are shown to be addressed through claims and farce hearings. In health the consumer interest should be given top priority, given its importance, and no room should be provided to powerful industry players to enhance their influence in decision making”, he said.

TheNetwork has demanded that the government should refrain from farcical eyewash measures and be serious in addressing the real issues. They have urged the Supreme Court also to continue following its suo moto initiative all the way to its logical conclusion, i.e. a real, pro-consumer, long term and sustainable change in the regulatory systems.