Dr. Jamal Nasir, the Punjab Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare, has issued a stern warning to anyone hoarding medicines, emphasizing that the government has introduced a mobile phone application designed to help report shortages quickly to end medicine hoarding.
During a gathering of the Provincial Drugs Quality Control Board on Monday, he further elaborated that this mobile application will not only provide real-time data on medicine availability but will also identify those responsible for creating an artificial shortage of medicines through unlawful stockpiling and selling them at inflated prices.
You can download the ‘Drug Shortage Report’ app from the Google Play Store. Through this app, you can report any instances of drug shortages, unavailability, or excessive pricing in the market to the government, as stated by the minister.
The app also lets you track your complaints with a tracking ID and report shortages directly to drug inspectors.
Dr. Nasir pointed out that those who profit illegally from selling drugs at inflated prices are engaging in unethical behavior.
Furthermore, Dr. Nasir instructed officials to ensure stringent adherence to prescribed parameters and standards at chemist shops. He emphasized the need for strict implementation of standard operating procedures (SOPs), including those concerning temperature, lighting, and cleanliness, in order to maintain the quality of medicines at these outlets and pharmacies.
He issued a warning that individuals running medical stores without licenses must promptly cease their operations or bear the consequences.
Should an unauthorized medical store be discovered in operation, the responsible drug inspector will be held accountable for this, emphasized the minister.
