Date expired medicines to be destroyed by July 2
The manufacturing companies have agreed to collect the date expired medicines from the market by themselves, and destroy those in an environment friendly manner
Pharmaceutical manufacturing companies have decided to destroy all the date expired medicines, after withdrawing them from the market by July 2.
The pharmacies and the pharmaceutical companies came up with the decision on Sunday, following a High Court order of June 18, wherein the apex court asked the government to take necessary action to stop the sale of date expired medicines, and destroy or withdraw it from the market within 30 days.
The decision was taken at a meeting organized at the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) office on Sunday.
Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries, Bangladesh Chemist & Druggist Samity, pharmaceutical manufacturing companies, importers, and representatives from the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection, and an executive magistrate from RAB were the respondents.
The manufacturing companies have agreed to collect the date expired medicines from the market by themselves, and destroy those in an environment friendly manner.
Also Read- HC: Destroy expired medicines within 30 days
They were also asked to report to DGDA after destroying the medicines. DGDA will send a letter to all stakeholders in this regard, said the meeting sources.
DGDA Director General, Major General M Mahbubur Rahman confirming the matter said, every stakeholder, in the meeting, has agreed to destroy the medicines while the pharmacies, and manufacturing companies have agreed to help each other to follow the process.
The High Court on June 18, directed the government to take necessary action to stop the sale of date expired medicines—and destroy or withdraw it from the market—within 30 days.
Earlier, Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection Deputy Director, Manjur Mohammad Sahriar at an event in Dhaka said, 93% of the pharmacies in Dhaka sell date expired medicines.
The court also ordered to formulate an independent investigation committee to detect date expired medicines, and identify their suppliers.
Pharmaceutical companies, pharmacies play blame game
Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries (BAPI) General Secretary SM Shafiuzzaman claimed that they do collect the expired medicines from pharmacies in a regular manner, and destroy those in their own plant.
“But, pharmacy owners often fail to provide us with the proper invoices, and bills of the products, so we cannot take them back in many instances,” said Shafiuzzaman, who is also the managing director of Hudson Pharmaceuticals.
Also Read- 22 pharmacy owners fined for selling expired, fake medicine
Former Bangladesh Chemist and Druggist Samity president Samir Kanti Sikder, however, claimed that the pharmacies do ask the manufacturers and dealers to take the products back if a medicine with no or less shelf-life is found in stores.
“The companies often remain reluctant to take the medicine back, and thus the products remain at our shops,” he said.
He claimed that the pharmacies do not sell those medicines to the consumers but somebody might do that unintentionally.
