KARACHI: A divisional bench of High Court of Sindh (SHC) reserved judgment in a constitution petition filed by Chemist and Pharmacist Association against multiple inspections of drugs (medicines) by Custom authorities.
The bench earlier heard the counsel for petitioner association who submitted that at present the respondents including Pakistan Regulatory Authority and Pakistan Customs are making inspection of Active Product Ingredient (API) as well as finished good. i.e. Medicines The counsel said that inspector should be once as multiple inspections add to the cost of the finished product or medicine. An importer has to bear expenses for test, boarding , lodging and other travel expenses of the Inspectors which add to the cost of the product to be borne by the end consumer or a patient, he submitted adding that a product having a price of rupees 10 was being sold for rupees 110 due to these un-necessary inspections.
The bench at this arguments observed that it is a known fact to everybody that no drugs were being made locally.
Deputy Attorney General Asim Mansoor Khan to a query by the court said that petitioner could not equate with an importer bringing in API The bench was informed by the DAG that if there are three different medicines are made of the same ingredient there will be three separate inspections to establish the quality of the finished product.
The counsel for custom department said that after new import policy, the burden on officials has reduced to a huge extent.
To a question by the bench that whether the testing laboratories have the facilities equal to that of USA Federal Drug Authority (FDA), the counsel for respondent submitted that department has people trained by World Health Organization (WHO).
The counsel for petitioner in his concluding arguments said that a single inspection at API stage or one after product is finished would suffice and would be in the interest of public.
DAG Asim Mansoor Khan wrapping up his arguments submitted that it is the policy of the federal government and Pakistan Drug Regulatory Authority to ensure inspection at all stages so that standard and good quality medicines are available to the patients in need.