To review the work performance of Food & Drugs Administration and their role in making essential drugs available during lockdown period, a State Level meeting was held in Kisan Bhawan under the Chairmanship of Health Minister Mr. Balbir Singh Sidhu.The Minister said in a bid to check the quality measures, there is need to take stern action against violators those are indulging in selling of sub standard medicines and others medical products. He said that no compromise with the quality of medicines which are selling in the markets as it is duty of F&DA to ensure the proper compliance of regulations across the State. He said that to avoid any shortage of essential drugs in the State, suitable arrangements has to be done in making the adequate stocks of all types of medicines.The Commissioner Food & Drugs Administration Mr. Kahan Singh Pannu apprised the meeting that the FDA has drawn 50 samples of sanitizer for quality checks and also registered about 11 FIRs under Essential Commodities Act for selling sanitizers at higher rates than the prices fixed by the Govt of India.Mr. Pannu Said that during the first quarter, January to March, 2421 inspections were made, 724 samples were drawn for test and analysis, out of which 38 samples found not of standard quality, drugs worth Rs 10,54,281 seized due to various contraventions of Drugs and Cosmetics Act. 67 licenses were suspended, 2 licenses cancelled, 39 prosecutions issued against the defaulters due to contraventions and 4 persons were declared convicted by the court of law.
The Minister further advised the drug regulators to ensure the availability of medicines and strictly regulate the quality. He said that no laxity to be tolerated with quality of medicines & strict action would be taken even if anyone found overcharging from the consumers. The Health Minister said that the very primary objective of the Drugs Administration is to make available quality, safe and efficacious drugs for the public at affordable rates so as to ensure health security of people and to reduce financial burden on the patients. He said that special meeting would be organized with chemist association to devise the mechanism for access to standard quality & safe medicines for the public.The State Drug Controller cum Joint Commissioner, F&DA Mr. Pardeep Singh Mattu said that the quality of the drugs, cosmetics, blood & blood products is being regulated through the Drugs Control Officers placed in each district of the State. The drugs regulators regularly draw the samples from the market as well as from the Govt. & Private Health Institutions to ensure their quality. He said that the Drugs Administration has set the protocol and total quality management system in place to draw the samples on risk based strategy and on season trends basis.OSD/Health Minister, Dr. Balwinder Singh, Political Secretary/Health Minister Harkesh Chand Sharma, All Zonal Licensing Authorities and Senior officers of the Food & Drugs Administration department were also present in meeting.