suprious Drugs nad Kashmir

It is a heinous crime to manufacture and sell drugs that are sub standard or
spurious. The menace needs to be checked at any cost, urges Mir Tariq Rasool-a
KAshmir Based Journalist

"The unabated marketing of spurious drugs in J&K state has exposed public to grave
health problems. What is compounding the situation is that the authorities are yet
to take a serious view of the matter and initiate firm steps to check the menace.

The role of many pharmaceutical companies in promoting spurious drugs has been
established, but there has hardly been any legal action taken against the erring
firms." This is what a social worker Muhammad Ramzan Shaiada, who regularly visits
villages, hamlets, cities and towns to aware the people about the spurious drug
trade and it hazardous effects on human life, says.
Perhaps one of the most heinous crimes in the world is the manufacture and sale of
harmful pharmaceuticals. The widespread sale of spurious drugs in Jammu and
Kashmir places every member of the society at serious risk. No crime is acceptable
to a civilized society, but some are certainly more harmful and heinous than
others. The problem of spurious drugs is not only a regional issue, confronting
Kashmir but developed countries also face this problem; like in U.S.A.
approximately 8% of drugs sold are counterfeit, unapproved or substandard,
according to a WHO reports. This problem is of global proportions: 8% of
prescription drugs in the Philippines are counterfeit; in Cambodia, 60% of 133
drug vendors sold anti-malaria medications lacking the active ingredient; and 38%
of the anti-malarial artesunate in South-East Asia including India is
counterfeit
Jammu and Kashmir shares its drug trade business with India and China, both of
which are regarded as origin of spurious drugs, according to WHO report. India is
the leading country in counterfeit drug production, having as much as 35% of the
world production originating in this country.
So in these circumstances what can be done? It is the question which needs
attention. Jammu and Kashmir is among the states which are torn by strife, where
everything is in a shambles.
Unqualified and unknowledgeable men have established medical stores in Kashmir. To
run a medical shop, one must be acquainted with the basics of the trade and the
sciences involved in drug manufacture. He should be able to make distinction in
the standard and sub-standard drugs. This facet of the pharmaceutical business in
not adequately emphasized in this state.
I have now been concerned about the menace of counterfeit and spurious drugs for
long. It was when I went to cover the life of tribals, that I confronted the stark
reality of spurious drugs. The malnourished tribal children were being
administered drugs that no one had heard of. Most of the drugs being supplied
there were sub-standard or spurious.
The net work of the illegal trade is protected by some of the politicians and
corrupt officers having vested interest. Sophisticated equipment is used to
produce counterfeit drugs and even the experts cannot distinguish these from the
genuine product.
The government institutions like defense, hospitals, and dispensaries are the
dumping ground for the large quantities of spurious drugs and therefore the drugs
purchased for such places should be monitored and tested by an independent agency.
The drug control department should form a separate intelligence wing to handle the
spurious drugs menace and the staff should be trained in detecting the net work
and nabbing the culprits. They should also have an adequate facility to handle
the complaints regarding the spurious drugs and for testing the suspected samples.
To make the system more efficient, this facility should also be run by NGOs. The
consumers are required to play pro-active role in protecting themselves and to
help in nabbing the culprits
Several worldwide measures have been suggested by the WHO to combat the menace in
its 1999 report. They identified key factors for the existence of the practice.
While most of these might not be relevant to state like Kashmir with undeveloped
regulatory systems, spurious drug trade can be controlled here in Kashmir by
applying applicable methods set by WHO:
• Lack of legislation – the most obvious loophole in a country. When little or no
legislation exists, it provides fertile ground for counterfeiters. Due to
transparent geographical boundaries, counterfeiters easily set up shop in one
country and can export to vulnerable countries. Kashmir is torn by turmoil, which
helps self interested officials, pharmacists and businessmen to smoothly carry on
the heinous job of spurious drug trade. It should be checked at the government
level after framing a committee under chairmanship of an expert.
• Weak or absent drug regulatory authority (DRA) – a comprehensive drug
regulation mechanism must be in place, not only dealing with manufacturers, but
also tracking down offending importers and distributors around the country. Drug
regulatory authority should be made powerful enough to counter the menace.
• Lack of enforcement of existing regulations –here in Jammu and Kashmir the
measures and regulations remain limited to paper. Several factors are responsible
for this, which includes the level of corruption in and lack of consciousness in
the administrative setup of the State.
• Transactions involving many intermediaries – the more points of exchange in the
supply chain, the more chances of counterfeiters peddling their goods. The supply
chains should be minimized on government level so that the chances of growing
spurious drug trade should be minimized. In fact, many pharmacies in the country
are trying to get their supplies directly from the manufacturer, to minimize
chances of spurious products introduced in their stock.

• High prices – high prices and inequities in access to prescription drugs are
fertile grounds for cheaper spurious drugs to enter the market. This is a
prevalent problem in the State and should be checked.
• Sophistication of clandestine drug manufacture –the advancement in
sophistication in the manufacture and packaging of drugs is easily available to
the counterfeiters, who are now able to imitate the drug appearance almost
perfectly.
Drug counterfeiting is a threat that every person in every nation faces. By its
nature of being invisible, it is very difficult to identify and combat.
Governments and Drug Related Agencies (DRAs) must realize that by the time danger
becomes visible, it might be too late. Unless serious thought and action are given
to it immediately; it might seep into the system without damaging it beyond
correction. While developing countries face the threat from direct sales,
developed countries too face the same problem with online sales. In addition to
this is the pseudo sense of security present in countries with stringent
regulatory measures. As counterfeiters are becoming more advanced, it is becoming
more difficult to identify them. The drug-counterfeiting situation is proving a
race against time.
In the State of Jammu and Kashmir where the government agencies and DRAs still
lack equipments and methodology to check the menace, the government and non-
government agencies should come forward to eradicate this menace in the society in
order to avoid the destruction of life.

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