The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has initiated a crackdown against medicine distributors following a surge in cases of vision loss attributed to the use of substandard injections in Punjab.
Initially, reports indicated that over 40 diabetes patients in Punjab experienced vision loss due to the use of these injections. In response, the provincial caretaker government imposed a two-week ban on the sales and usage of Avastin for ophthalmology-related treatments.
However, the number of affected individuals has since risen to over 70. In response to the reported cases, DRAP has banned the use of these injections by hospitals, pharmacies, and patients across the country.
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DRAP officials have revealed that no hospitals, laboratories, or pharmacies in Pakistan possess a license to repack these injections. They have also noted the availability of both registered and unregistered injections in the market.
The officials have advised people and hospitals to refrain from using imported injections until quality check results are obtained.
DRAP, in coordination with provincial drug authorities, conducted raids on the offices of medicine distributors, recovering 110 vials. These vials were sent to a drug testing laboratory in Lahore.
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Out of the reported 70 cases of vision loss, 10 patients are from Multan, one from Bahawalpur, and three from Jhang, receiving treatment at Nishtar Hospital. Additional cases have been reported in Lahore, Multan, Rahim Yar Khan, Sadiqabad, and Faisalabad.
The police are currently searching for two suspects identified as Bilal and Naveed. Meanwhile, the interim Punjab government has taken action against 11 drug inspectors involved in the sale of injections from illegal unregistered companies. Several drug inspectors have been suspended as part of this response.
