Pakistan has so far registered 66,000 drugs: PPMA

The drugs, registered in the country so far under the Drug Act, 1976, total around 66,000 with 55,000 of them active drugs, says Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Association (PPMA) Chairman Haroon Qasim.

Drugs are registered by the Health Ministry’s Drug Registration Board after examination of their safety, efficacy, quality and economy. The board consists of 21 pharmaceutical and health experts.

Haroon said that the number of registered drugs was around 27,000 two or three years ago. He said of the registered drugs, around 10,000 were imported drugs.

He also said around 1,000 drugs had been de-registered over the last many years for reasons, especially international withdrawals and safety recalls.

The PPMA chairman said registered drugs included medical disposable devices such as disposable syringes, catheters and bandages. He said the Drug Registration Board had six meetings in 2010.

According to him, the process of drug registration takes eight to 12 months during which the Health Ministry evaluates submitted dossiers to ensure that nothing is missing and all rules have been complied before sending the selected ones to the Board for registration.

“In many instances, the facility inspections are done, stability studies are taken and compliance of the rules and regulations by the applicants are examined,” he said.

Haroon said the Drug Registration Board was a very competent board, having experts from all the fields, including officials from the Health Ministry and provincial health officials, professors from academic institutions, medical doctors, representatives of consumer organisations and other stakeholders, to ensure that the registration process was fully complied.

He said though PPMA had its representation in the board as an observer, not a member. In this light, he said, the claim that PPMA pressurise the ministry for drug registration is baseless.

The PPMA chairman said the Drug Registration Board had its own mechanism of checking quality and safety of the products, be these were locally manufactured or imported through registration and plant inspections.

Also, he said all pharmaceutical companies had their own internal audit system and subsidiaries/third parties of international companies were periodically audited by their overseas experts. “Local companies are marketing novel generic products, competing in the market place and surpassed their share with these international companies,” he said.

Haroon said Pakistani pharmaceutical industry exported products to more than 60 countries, including Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Philippines, Cambodia, Myanmar, all Commonwealth Independent States, Russia and many African countries.

He said many of these countries had their own rules and regulations to check standards of imported pharmaceutical goods. “This automatically gives a quality seal to our manufacturers,” he said.

Why Our Drug Laws Have Failed and What We Can Do About It

Why Our Drug Laws Have Failed and What We Can Do About It: A Judicial Indictment of the War on Drugs by Judge James P Gray Review by Jill Waalen, MD, MPH Philadelphia: Temple University Press; 2001. ISBN: 1566398606.

If there's any doubt that the country is awash in illegal drugs, Americans need look no further than their wallets: 79% of US paper currency circulating in this country carries detectable amounts of cocaine.¹ And headlines heralding seizure of tons of marijuana, heroin, cocaine, or other drugs are not signs of successfully fighting the "War on Drugs"; instead, such drug seizure is a sign of failure--proof that illegal drugs are being found in ever-increasing amounts within our borders.

A lively narrative filled with similarly provocative insight, Judge James P Gray's book details how current US drug laws have created a wonderland of unintended consequences. The book also pleads for acute change in the direction of these laws. As a 20-year veteran of the Superior Court in Orange County, CA, Judge Gray writes from the front line in the War on Drugs--a futile battle, which, he maintains, has to date mostly been prosecuted against drug users instead of suppliers. As a result, the laws have successfully filled ever-growing numbers of prisons across the country with nonviolent drug offenders while both availability of drugs and the criminal activity surrounding them continue to escalate.

Gray's account of the endless stream of drug offenders into the nation's prisons yields some astounding statistics. For example, the incarceration rate in the United States is higher than in any other country except Russia. This statistic is largely a result of jailing drug users: 58% of federal prisoners are serving time for drug offenses. One of every 150 Americans is in jail at any one time--and this number is growing. As a result, one in 20 white Americans and one in four black Americans will be jailed sometime during their lifetime.

One of Judge Gray's examples of unintended consequences is that our main method of getting tough on drugs--trying to "incarcerate ourselves out of the problem"--has resulted in leniency for more violent criminals: The combination of overcrowded prisons and laws that specifically require drug offenders to serve full sentences has allowed criminals serving time for violent offenses to be granted early release to make room for more drug offenders. This result occurs because, unlike the rule governing drug offenses in many juris
dictions, serving a full sentence is not mandatory for many violent crimes (eg, bank robbery and kidnapping).

In fact, according to Judge Gray, one of the only laws that has functioned as expected in the War on Drugs is the law of supply and demand: Largely due to drug prohibition, the driving force in the increasing drug problem is the huge profit which accompanies drug trafficking.

Why Our Drug Laws Have Failed is intellectually stimulating and rivals the 2000 film Trafficin illustrating the pervasiveness of the drug problem in America. After reading the book, one finds it difficult to identify any aspect of American life that has not been corrupted by both our country's drug problem and our chosen method of combating it. The enormous profits to be reaped from drug trafficking have encouraged creation of youth gangs, corruption of law enforcement officials, and a dramatic increase in crime rates. At the same time, the ever-escalating War on Drugs also has had negative effects: Channeling resources away from prosecution of other crimes; threatening the environmental health of developing countries by using toxic herbicides to eradicate drug-producing plants; and, in the name of drug interdiction, stripping civil rights from many US citizens in a way unlike any other pre-September 11 law enforcement initiative.

Judge Gray's book presents an insider's view backed by quotes from many other judges across the country who echo his desperation in the fight against illegal drugs. The book goes beyond the standard call for blanket legalization of all drugs, a call based solely on comparison with the failed prohibition on alcohol. The author digs deeper, tracing historical idiosyncrasies that have created the current situation. According to Judge Gray, original drug laws were " fundamentally racist laws aimed at perceived threats to white women [from the use of cocaine, marijuana, and opium ] by black, Mexican, and Chinese men, respectively;"^2:p20 and in the decades since, US Presidents and the US Congress have continued to pass stringent laws--and when these laws fail, to pass more of the same--so as to gain the political benefits of "getting tough on drugs." Judge Gray also describes "the Prison-Industrial complex"--prison-building industries combined with the bureaucracies running the prisons---as a self-interested force that practices political opportunism in perpetuating the status quo.

Dividing the book into two roughly equal parts (as suggested by the title), Gray performs best in the first part: How the War on Drugs is failing. Probably because it lacks concrete examples of success, the second half of the book--the part that discusses what we can do about drug abuse--is less satisfying. Judge Gray outlines specific strategies for education, mandatory drug treatment, needle exchange, and drug decriminalization as steps toward a solution. In particular, he emphasizes education--but not the "Just Say No" variety. Instead, he argues for a more realistic, truthful approach that recognizes drug use as part of the culture and that portrays drug use as risky, harmful, and unattractive--an educational approach similar to that taken in current antitobacco campaigns.

For Judge Gray, drug decriminalization--a big step toward removing the profit from drug trafficking--would restrict and regulate drug sales instead of prohibiting them outright. Here his argument is buttressed by the apparently arbitrary line between some legally prescribed drugs (eg, tranquilizers) and illicit, "street" drugs. Although Judge Gray cites some successful examples of these approaches in other countries, no currently successful comprehensive model exists; and, as the second section of the book makes clear, changing our approach to the drug problem will ultimately require "a leap of faith," ie, a willingness to try creative new strategies.

Although included in Judge Gray's list of options, continuing to escalate the current War on Drugs is one option that, as the book clearly shows, is not viable. If the book attracts enough readers, its well-reasoned and convincing arguments may help increase the ranks of drug antiprohibitionists beyond the libertarian fringe and could draw a coalition of drug law reformists from all political quarters. Judging from the wide spectrum of support for the book--represented on the jacket by endorsements--from people ranging from political commentator Arianna Huffington to broadcast journalist Walter Cronkite to economist Milton Friedman--Judge Gray's effort to assemble such a coalition is off to a good start.

References

1. Oyler J, Darwin WD, Cone EJ. Cocaine contamination of United States paper currency [Published erratum appears in J Anal Toxicol 1998 Jul-Aug;22(4):15]. J Anal Toxicol 1996 Jul-Aug;20(4):213-6.
2. Gray JP. Why our drug laws have failed and what we can do about it: a judicial indictment of the War on Drugs. Philadelphia: Temple University Press; 2001.

When a Child Takes Drugs.

Knowing that your child is abusing drugs may not be as easy as it is made out to be. As parents we are always on the look out for a our children's welfare. We watch over them and worry about them but, even then, we may not be the first to know if our child is seeking excitement and comfort in chemical substances.

Statistics show that parents that unambiguously communicate their desire that their children stay well clear of drugs are 50% less likely to have children that do drugs. Communication cannot be underestimated. Communication, however, is not just telling our kids how we feel about drugs it is creating a climate where they feel comfortable to give us their own UNCENSORED view.

The first thing that a parent feels when a child is discovered to be taking drugs is overwhelming guilt and some anger. The anger is aimed at the fact that the loved one has placed themselves in danger and this is unbearably painful for a parent. The guilt comes from a feeling that they should have known, that there was something that they could have done to stop this from happening.

When your child takes drugs it is time to take off the blinkers. All of them. The only way out is going to be through a great deal of painful but liberating honesty and overzealous feelings of guilt don't help. Guilt trips for parent or child are not appropriate. You need to practice forgiveness and compassion like you have never done previously. You will also need professional help. Don't be afraid, good help should strip you naked and give you nowhere to hide, you and your child. This is good. Your family will never be the same again. It will be stronger and more robust. This is the potential.

Drugs Effect on the Family.

A healthy family requires a good handle on reality. Wherever illusions take the place of reality, relationships suffer and the delicate balance that is family begins to disintegrate. Drug abuse is an attempt to escape from what is felt to be an untenable reality. It is believed that the escape is the solution but this is part of the illusion.Any solution that is not based in reality is no real solution at all.

When one member of a family retreats into this drug induced illusion it becomes impossible for the family to sustain itself in a healthy and life giving way. A link in the chain is sorely damaged. What is real can no longer be relied upon as common ground. Communication cannot make its way across the gulf between reality and the escape from that reality.

Teens and Illicit Drugs.

Adolescence is a time of important physical, intellectual, emotional, and social development. Learning how to solve problems, build close friendships, make decisions, and handle responsibility are important during the teenage years. Drug use interferes with teens' ability to learn and improve those skills. Whether it's alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, or other illicit (illegal) drugs, the bottom line holds true: teens who use drugs put their future in danger.

• Quick Facts
• Tips for Parents
• What should I do if my teen is using drugs?

Quick Facts

• Parents tend to underestimate their teen's exposure to illegal drugs.
• Almost 1/3 of teens report that they have used illicit drugs at some point in their lives.
• Using alcohol and tobacco at a young age -- especially before high school-increases the risk for using other drugs later, such as marijuana and cocaine.
• Young people who don't use drugs are more likely to stay in school than those who do use drugs.
• Over one quarter of high school students report that they have been offered, given, or sold an illicit drug on school grounds.
• Poor judgment while using drugs puts teens at risk for car crashes, falls, drownings, violence, unplanned and unsafe sex, and suicide.
• Drug use can cause serious immediate and/or long-term damage to the brain, liver, kidney, heart, and lung -- just to name a few.

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Tips for Parents

The reality is that at some point your teen will be offered drugs. Give him or her reasons and ways to refuse drugs.

1. Tell your teen often that drug use is unacceptable, illegal, harmful, and wrong! Frequently talk about family expectations and rules about drugs. Clearly state and enforce the consequences for breaking the rules.
2. Raise your teen's awareness about the health risks and consequences of drug use. (See the resources section for more information.)
3. Positive feedback strengthens a teen's decision not to use drugs. For example, "It's great that you have decided to stay away from drugs. That takes a lot of courage!"
4. Busy, supervised teens have fewer opportunities to do drugs. Encourage your teen to take part in community activities or after-school programs, or to get a part-time job.
5. Get to know your teen's friends. Know where they hang out and what they are doing. Talk with your teen's friends' parents about your "no drug use" rules.
6. Talk with your teen about ways to handle pressure from friends to get "high." Teach your teen how to say "no" and to suggest doing something different (safe). To feel comfortable talking openly with you, your teen needs to know that you will not punish him or her for being honest.
7. Get involved in your teen's education. Set rules for doing homework, set goals with your teen for school grades, ask questions about his or her classes, and encourage him or her to read.
8. Boost your teen's self-confidence and self-worth. Praise his or her attempts as well as achievements. Encourage your teen to express his or her opinions and feelings in a positive way, for example, talking, writing, or drawing. Talk with and listen to your teen. Show that you are there for your teen when he or she needs you.
9. Help your teen (especially girls) develop a positive body image. Encourage your teen to respect his or her body by avoiding alcohol and other drugs, eating healthy foods, and exercising regularly.
10. If you have an alcohol or other drug problem, help is available. Talk to a health care professional and see the Resources section on this page.

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What should I do if my teen is using drugs?

Calmly talk about the extent of his or her use -- what kinds of drugs, how often, how much, with whom, where, and why. Explain why you are concerned. Remind your teen of your rules about drug use and enforce the consequences for breaking them. If you believe your teen is abusing drugs or your efforts to enforce the rules have failed repeatedly, seek help from a counselor or health care professional.
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