E-drug: Public drug testing labs (cont'd)
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Dear Ayesha,
When you asked first time, I had so much work that I did not have
time to reply. Now I will try.
Our practice is not for drug inspectors to take samples, but the
regulatory authroity will request random samples from wholesalers
for testing. I am aware that the practice is different in other
countries.
However, I do think there should be a system for any customer to
be able to test a product, but I think it has to be based on suspicion
of counterfeit, lack of effect etc, not just for somebody to 'want to
test a product' for no obvious reason.
In Norway there is no such public drug testing laboratory and no
established procedure on what consumers should do. If a patient
has a complaint, he/she may go to the pharmacist who will return
the product to the wholesaler or to the regulatory authority. If the
product is a herbal medicine, cosmetic or any other non-drug
product, a customer would send it to the consumer association
which would organise testing. Occasionally I suppose even the
university pharmacy schools could help. Does Pakistan have a
consumer association that could do it, or at least assist in setting
up a system?
What I would have liked to see in my country is the following: We
have today a grey area of herbal medicines, dietary supplements
etc. which in a way fall between two chairs. Advertising, quality
and sale do not fall under the regulatory authority's responsibility
unless there are claims in the advertising for treating medical
conditions. Then several products are imported and sold as
non-drug, but contain substances classified as drugs. Even if the
regulatory authority manage to investigate and send it to the police,
nothing will happen because these cases have low priority. And
many of the companies are only in for a short period to earn fast
money and will have closed down by the time the police take
action. Also at the regulatory authority such things are given low
priority. We have a national food co ntrol board and they have a
central laboratory and a network of local laboratories. They
regularly visit shops, factories etc. to take samples. I wish they
would establish a unit staffed with pharmacists to deal with this.
Then they could also serve the public's need for testing of
products.
Kind regards
Kirsten
Kirsten Myhr
Head of Eastern Region Drug Information Centre
RELIS Ost
Ulleval University Hospital
0407 Oslo, Norway
Tel.: +47 23 01 64 11(o) Fax: +47 23 01 64 10
+47 22 56 05 85 (h) mobile: +47 416 38 747
myhr@online.no
www.relis.no
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