Checking adulterated drugs

Fake medicines available in the market are direct threats to public health. Instead of curing diseases, they aggravate health problems, and further complicate them. However, around 20 per cent drugs we consume are reportedly adulterated. There are media reports that market is flooded with adulterated and copied versions of famous medicinal products manufactured by reputed companies. As these medicines are known to be manufactured by well-known companies, faking these products has become a lucrative business.

A number of Covid patients have been undergoing treatment at home. They need a number of drugs every day. Taking the ongoing pandemic as an opportunity, a section of unscrupulous people has been making adulterated and spurious medicines, and selling them particularly to rural people.

Those who produce, store and sell adulterated medicine must be awarded exemplary punishment in order to restrain others from doing the same. It is a criminal offence and should be dealt with accordingly. The authorities should also monitor the market to find if there is any manipulation so that no one can produce, market, and sell adulterated drugs in any way.

Mohammad Yasin Islam

Student of Department of Sociology

Jagannath University, Dhaka

[email protected]