E-drug: TheNetwork's Campaign Against GST on medicines
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GST TRIGGER HOARDING OF MEDICINES - ADDING TO PATIENTS MISERIES
ISLAMABAD 12 April 2002. Most needed 98 medicines have been
found disappeared from the market, which has created severe shortage all
over the country, adding to the miseries of patients, whose access to
the drugs has already been shrinking since long in result of imposition
of 15%GST and uncontrolled price increase on them, revealed a market
survey conducted by TheNetwork for Consumer Protection in Pakistan.
The Executive Coordinator for TheNetwork for Consumer Protection Dr.
Zafar Mirza lashed out the government and held responsible for not
fulfilling its prime responsibility to ensure uninterrupted availability
of medicines in the market. He said that drugs including those,
recommended for high blood pressure, antidotes for poisoning, epilepsy,
antibiotics, thyroid gland disorders, depression and other psychiatric
problems, tuberculosis, migraine organ transplant etc. have been missing
from the market, which shows the poor grip of ministry of Health or
negligence on her part. He said that the patients need such missing
drugs are suffering tremendous hardships for obtaining them.
Dr. Mirza also criticized that CBR is too excited to mint money from the
poor of the country, has failed to devise and public any mechanism for
GST implementation and as a result there is a rigorous chaos in the
pharmaceutical market. He maintained that not only companies like ICI,
Upjohn, MSD, Roche, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, Macter, Searle and Abbott
but other actors including some distributors, whole sellers and chemists
are also responsible for the ongoing sever shortages of drugs.
He said that the Ministry of Health on the other hand has failed to
ensure the supply of these drugs as their statutory responsibility.
Under the Drugs Act 1976 (Licensing, Registration, and Advertising)
Rules, section 4 which says, "Every [registered] drug shall be produced
in sufficient quantity so as to ensure its regular and adequate supply
in the market." And the section 5 says, "The manufacturer of any drug
shall not, without prior approval of the registration board, be
discontinued for period which may result in its shortage."
TheNetwork demands for the complete withdrawal of GST on all drugs in
the public interest, as an immediate relief at-least entire list of 478
Essential Drugs should be exempted and that the government should ensure
regular supply of medicines in the country's market and take sever
action against those who are involved in hoarding.
Azhar Hussain
Project Coordinator Pharmaceuticals
TheNetwork for Consumer Protection
40-A, Ramzan Plaza, G-9 Markaz
Islamabad
Pakistan
Tel:00-92-51-2261085
Fax:00-92-51-2262495
e-mail: azhar@thenetwork.org.pk
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