Prescribe medicines with generic and not brand names, DRAP tells Pakistan's doctors

All provinces have been asked by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) to make sure doctors prescribe medicines with their generic names in the public and private sectors.

DRAP gave the instructions after public complaints on the PM’s Citizen's Portal against pharmaceutical companies and doctors reportedly colluding to provide people with costlier medicines under a brand name.

A letter was written to the health secretaries of all four provinces, Azad Jammu Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan and the Islamabad commissioner by DRAP Pharmacy Services Director Dr Abdur Rasheed.

It said citizens had complained through the Prime Minister’s Performance Delivery Unit (PMDU) against company-influenced brand-based prescription of medicines by doctors in government and private sectors.

"This practice adds to the economic burden of the country and puts financial load on patients due to purchase of pricier brands. Such practice is also against the Code of Ethics for medical and dental practitioners," the letter read.

DRAP, therefore, directed the health authorities across Pakistan to take necessary measures to promote generic prescriptions by doctors and discourage the practice of incentivised prescription.

The Drug Act 1976, in its Section 7 “Registration of Drugs”, Clause-8, says that single-ingredient drugs (containing one active ingredient) shall be registered generally by their generic names, while compound drugs (containing more than one active ingredient) shall be registered generally by their proprietary names.

Drug Lawyers Forum President Noor Mahar said doctors and pharmaceutical companies collude and are involved in the unethical practice of writing even single-ingredient drugs with their brands names in violation of the regulatory law.

For instance, he named a brand medicine manufactured with Amlodipine salt for heart patients is being sold at Rs460, while same drug with the another brand name is available for Rs49.

 

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Warner, Williamson fast with Rashid

Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan revealed that New Zealand’s skipper Kane Williamson and Australia’s opening batsman David Warner observed fast with him and other members of the team on April 18.

Rashid Khan a story on his Instagram account where he shared a video featuring Warner and Williamson and wrote, “2 legends were fasting with us today.”

In the video, Rashid asks the two batsmen to share their experiences on Iftari table. “Good, but I am very thirsty and very hungry, my mouth is so dry,” said Warner. Williamson, who also accompanied them, said, “Very good, thanks.”

It must be noted that Rashid, Warner, Williamson are currently in India, playing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 for Sunrisers Hyderabad.

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Bowling coach Waqar to miss Zimbabwe series due to wife’s surgery

Pakistan men’s team bowling coach Waqar Younis has decided to leave Zimbabwe’s tour and travel back to Australia immediately because of his wife’s surgery.

The 49-year-old Waqar, who lives in Sydney, will leave the team today while his wife Faryal Waqar will undergo surgery after Ramadan.

According to Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Waqar is leaving early as he will have to quarantine for 14 days in line with Australian Government COVID-19 protocols.

It must be noted Pakistan team has already reached Harare to play T20Is and two Tests. The T20I series starts from April 21, followed by two matches on April 23 and 25.

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Britain to look closer at creating digital currency

Britain stepped up efforts on Monday to look at the case for a digital pound in response to the challenge posed by cryptocurencies such as bitcoin, and outlined plans to make its financial market more attractive after Brexit.

“We’re launching a new taskforce between the Treasury and the Bank of England to coordinate exploratory work on a potential central bank digital currency (CBDC),” Britain’s finance minister Rishi Sunak told a financial industry conference.

“Alongside this we will set up a new financial market infrastructure ‘sandbox’ for firms innovating with technologies like distributed ledger technologies,” he added.

The BoE said that it and the government had not yet made a decision on whether to introduce a CBDC in the UK, and that it would engage widely with stakeholders on the benefits, risks and practicalities of doing so.

Any digital currency would be designed to exist alongside physical cash and existing bank deposits, rather than to replace them, the central bank said.

The taskforce will monitor developments overseas to ensure the UK remains at the forefront of global innovation on digital currencies, it added.

China is a front-runner to launch a CBDC, which could help authorities modernise financial systems, meet the threat from cryptocurrencies and speed up domestic and international payments.

Last week, the European Central Bank said it was studying an electronic form of cash to complement banknotes and coins but any launch was still several years away.

DARK TRADING

Since Britain’s departure from the European Union’s orbit on Dec. 31, the financial sector has faced restrictions on serving EU customers, and the British government is seeking to make London a more attractive global financial centre.

The government will propose removing restrictions inherited from the EU, including on who can trade shares in London and the double volume cap.

This would help Britain attract more “dark” or anonymous trading by big investors after Amsterdam toppled London as Europe’s top share trading centre in January.

“The consultation process aims to deliver a rulebook that is fair, outcomes-based and supports competitiveness, whilst ensuring the UK maintains the highest regulatory standards,” Sunak said.

Britain will also propose changes to prospectuses, a document companies must publish when listing on an exchange or issuing new shares.

The aim would be to ensure the rules are “not overly burdensome”, Sunak said.

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Five people stabbed in attack inside Albania mosque

Five people were injured in a stabbing attack in a mosque in the Albanian capital Tirana on Monday following afternoon prayers, police said.

They said a 34-year-old man was quickly arrested over the attack and local media said he had been suffering from depression and was wanted by police over another stabbing incident in March. Police had no immediate comment.

Police said all those injured in the 2.30 p.m. (1230 GMT) attack in the Dine Hoxha moaque in downtown Tirana had been hospitalised.

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Britain adds India to COVID-19 travel red-list

Britain is adding India to its travel “red-list” after detecting 103 cases of a coronavirus variant first identified in the country, health minister Matt Hancock said on Monday.

“We’ve made the difficult but vital decision to add India to the Red List. This means anyone who is not a UK or Irish resident or a British citizen cannot enter the UK if they’ve been in India in the previous 10 days,” Hancock told parliament.

“UK and Irish residents and British citizens who’ve been in India in the past 10 days before their arrival will need to complete hotel quarantine for 10 days from the time of arrival.”

The rules come into force at 4 a.m. local time (0300 GMT) on Friday, Hancock said.

The British authorities back in April had added Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Philippines and Kenya to its red list to be effective from 4:00 am (local time) Friday, April 9 – 2021 for implementing travel bans on visitors from the countries.

Under the restrictions imposed by the UK Department for Transport, British, Irish and third-country nationals with residence rights (including long-term visa holders) would be required to self-isolate in a government-approved hotel quarantine facility for 10 days.

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Sindh CM says not taken into confidence over talks with banned organisation

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Monday said that the federal government did not take the provinces into confidence over ongoing talks with the defunct Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).

The chief minister was speaking to the media in Islamabad where he appeared for a hearing at the National Accountability Bureau office on Monday.

CM Shah said the issue started five to six days ago, but the provinces were not taken into confidence by the Centre. "We can find a solution if stakeholders are in confidence," he said.

He was asked regarding the Lahore situation where law enforcers were taken hostage by the banned TLP in an attack on a police station.

The hostages, however, were released after negotiations were held with the religiopolitical group by the Punjab government.

Shah said he was unaware of the talks and only came to know about it at sehri.

"I don't know what the government is going to offer to the religious party. I can only suggest that it should not be something which is not possible," the CM said.

Shah said his advice to the government would be to not look for short term goals.

When asked about the strike call by religious leaders against the Lahore incident, Shah said the government will not stop peaceful protests. "If someone wants to shut their business and transport, they can do so," he said.

"We are in contact with the relevant people."

He said that the authorities will take measures if a law and order situation is created.

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