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Drug Policy to be amended

Star Report
The government has decided to review the Drug Policy of 1982 for making necessary amendments.
'The Drug Control Committee will also be reconstituted soon for the same purpose,' a highly placed source in the Health Ministry told the Dally Star.
The source informed that the process to reconstitute the committee is now at the final stage. The new committee will be formed only with the representatives of Institutions or organisations related with the health sector. No Individual or anybody on personal capacity will be inducted In the committee. The previous drug control committees were constituted mainly with the Individuals who did not represent any institutions.
In April. 1982. the Ershad government formulated a national drug policy and also promulgated Drag Control Ordinance in June that year. The Ordinance incorporated recommendations of the drug policy under which about 1700 brands of medicines were declared banned. At present, nearly 500 medicines produced by multinational or local manufactures are allowed by the government
Under the provision of that Ordinance. government formed the drug control committee which was autho-rlsed to give registration to pharmaceutical products. The committee was headed by the Secretary of Health Ministry. In 1984. a drug appellate authority headed by Health Minister was also constituted. This body was formed to con^ sider appeals from the manufacturers or importers against any decision of drug control committee. •
It has been alleged by the medicin,e manufacturers that drug committee did not meet for about two years though the committee is supposed to hold meeting once tn every month. Similarly ,no meeting of the appellate authority was held tn last three years. So the multinational as well as the local manufacturers have been facing a lot of problems to get their products registered. A number of appeals are also lying with the drug appellate authority.
Since its introduction nine years ago. the drug policy faced criticism from the physicians while the manufacturers expressed resentment over some measures taken under it .
According to physicians, essential medicines including multivitamins, cough syrups hormonal medicines, combination products were declared banned under the drug policy. However, many physicians were often found to advise the patients to take those banned medicines. The patients also procured it with high prices which were smuggled Into the country.
‘Only due to faulty drug policy, huge quantity of foreign medicines are being smuggled into Bangladesh and getting good market here." said a senior physician.
Other than the focal pharmaceutical companies, the multinational companies were also hit by the drug policy Many of their medicines were banned by the government while life saving medicines invented in other countries in recent times could not be tn: troduced in Bangladesh due to restrictions.
Most of the multinational companies have squeezed their business here while some others are considering winding up operations in Bang-
Among the three US based companies In Bangladesh, one has already left and another has deckled to stop their operation here. The other company is waiting for the decision of the Drug Control Committee as well as of the Appellate Authority about some drugs on which the company's future operation here will depend. Six more companies based tn other foreign countries are now continuing operation in
The Health Ministry source said that the government is very much aware about the problems .faced by the multinational companies.
The drug policy will be recast in such a way that the multinationals can continue their operation while the local industries can also survive and grow." said the source adding/ "local companies will be allowed to manufacture certain essential drugs of foreign companies under licence "
Committee to be recast soon