Cabinet okays draft policy to ensure standard drugs

The cabinet yesterday approved the draft of the National Drug Policy, 2016 updating the policy of 2005, aiming to promote the pharmaceutical sector and help checking production, marketing and selling of fake, adulterated and sub-standard drugs, reports UNB.
The approval came from the regular weekly meeting of the Cabinet held at Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam said the main features of the policy include implementation of and amendment to the existing laws and rules, availability of effective, safe and standard drugs, rationale and safe usage of drugs, registration of drugs, registration for importing drugs as well as production of drugs and its raw materials.
Proposal for formation of the National Drug Regulatory Authority, checking of fake, adulterated and sub-standard drugs, price fixing of drugs, controlling of ads and publicity of drugs, taking joint initiative for research and development of drugs are the other features of the policy, he said.
Besides, it would be a punishable offence to store, display drugs at pharmacies changing or distorting the expiry dates of the medicines.
The Cabinet secretary said that the government considering the public interest would regularly update the price fixing rules as the price list would be updated once in a year.
Besides, legal step would be taken against those who would take additional prices of drugs from the consumers.
He said currently medicines are being exported to some 122 countries across the world and there is a need to control the standard of these drugs.
He said that many local drug manufacturing companies have so far received Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certificates from the drug control administration of various developed countries while local reputed drug companies like Beximco Pharmaceuticals, Square and Incepta also achieved WHO certificates.
The Cabinet secretary said that the draft policy also reflects the demands of WHO, Food and Drug Administration of the US and the UK.
The Cabinet also approved a proposal to form 'National Human Resource Development Fund' under the Finance Division to ensure additional financing in skills development activities.
Besides, It approved formation of a legal authority titled 'National Skill Development Authority (NSDA)' under the Prime Minister's Office to coordinate overall skills development related activities.
Shafiul Alam said initially financing would be provided to this Fund from a project of the Finance Division.
The Cabinet also approved in principle the draft of 'The Cost and Management Accountants Bill, 2016' making the existing law more time befitting and raising punishment for violation of the law.
Alam said three more new sections - two on supervising the standard of the members of financial council and another on translation of the law -- have been incorporated in the draft law.
About the provisions of punishments, the Cabinet secretary said if anyone cheat people by claiming him/her to be a member of the Institute of the Cost and Management Accountants of Bangladesh-ICMAB would be sentenced to 6 months imprisonment or fined up to Tk 3,00,000.
He said that the punishment under the existing law is 6 months imprisonment and Tk 1,000 fine for first time violation of the law while the amount of fine would be Tk 5,000 each time for repeated violation.
However, the financial punishment would be Tk 50,000 in the case of first time violation of the law, while it would be up to Tk 1,00,000 for every action of repeated violation, he added. About the punishment for using the name of the Institute after being declared as disqualified to do so, or signing the concerned documents by any disqualified person, the Cabinet Secretary said, the punishment would be Tk 50,000 as fine in case of first time violation, while the amount of fine to be Tk 1,00,000 for every such repeated violation.
The Cabinet also approved in principle the draft of 'The Nazrul Institute Bill, 2016' and 'The National Sports Council Bill, 2016' reorganising the existing laws to make those more time befitting. Ministers and State Ministers attended the meeting while secretaries concerned were present.

 

Cabinet okays draft policy to ensure standard drugs

The cabinet yesterday approved the draft of the National Drug Policy, 2016 updating the policy of 2005, aiming to promote the pharmaceutical sector and help checking production, marketing and selling of fake, adulterated and sub-standard drugs, reports UNB. The approval came from the regular weekly meeting of the Cabinet held at Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair. Briefing reporters after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam said the main features of the policy include implementation of and amendment to the existing laws and rules, availability of effective, safe and standard drugs, rationale and safe usage of drugs, registration of drugs, registration for importing drugs as well as production of drugs and its raw materials. Proposal for formation of the National Drug Regulatory Authority, checking of fake, adulterated and sub-standard drugs, price fixing of drugs, controlling of ads and publicity of drugs, taking joint initiative for research and development of drugs are the other features of the policy, he said. Besides, it would be a punishable offence to store, display drugs at pharmacies changing or distorting the expiry dates of the medicines. The Cabinet secretary said that the government considering the public interest would regularly update the price fixing rules as the price list would be updated once in a year. Besides, legal step would be taken against those who would take additional prices of drugs from the consumers. He said currently medicines are being exported to some 122 countries across the world and there is a need to control the standard of these drugs. He said that many local drug manufacturing companies have so far received Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certificates from the drug control administration of various developed countries while local reputed drug companies like Beximco Pharmaceuticals, Square and Incepta also achieved WHO certificates. The Cabinet secretary said that the draft policy also reflects the demands of WHO, Food and Drug Administration of the US and the UK. The Cabinet also approved a proposal to form National Human Resource Development Fund under the Finance Division to ensure additional financing in skills development activities. Besides, It approved formation of a legal authority titled National Skill Development Authority (NSDA) under the Prime Ministers Office to coordinate overall skills development related activities. Shafiul Alam said initially financing would be provided to this Fund from a project of the Finance Division. The Cabinet also approved in principle the draft of The Cost and Management Accountants Bill, 2016 making the existing law more time befitting and raising punishment for violation of the law. Alam said three more new sections - two on supervising the standard of the members of financial council and another on translation of the law -- have been incorporated in the draft law. About the provisions of punishments, the Cabinet secretary said if anyone cheat people by claiming him/her to be a member of the Institute of the Cost and Management Accountants of Bangladesh-ICMAB would be sentenced to 6 months imprisonment or fined up to Tk 3,00,000. He said that the punishment under the existing law is 6 months imprisonment and Tk 1,000 fine for first time violation of the law while the amount of fine would be Tk 5,000 each time for repeated violation. However, the financial punishment would be Tk 50,000 in the case of first time violation of the law, while it would be up to Tk 1,00,000 for every action of repeated violation, he added. About the punishment for using the name of the Institute after being declared as disqualified to do so, or signing the concerned documents by any disqualified person, the Cabinet Secretary said, the punishment would be Tk 50,000 as fine in case of first time violation, while the amount of fine to be Tk 1,00,000 for every such repeated violation. The Cabinet also approved in principle the draft of The Nazrul Institute Bill, 2016 and The National Sports Council Bill, 2016 reorganising the existing laws to make those more time befitting. Ministers and State Ministers attended the meeting while secretaries concerned were present.