Members of the Association of Drug Stores and Distributors held a partial strike following proposed amendments which call for harsher penalties and heavy fines against distributors of falsified medicines. The medicine distributors and chemists protested against the amendments which they feel are too harsh. A representative said that the amendments would make selling expired, poorly labeled and substandard medicines a crime worthy of over six months in prison without bail. He added that: “we are not against the campaign” against spurious drugs but that “anyone could make an honest mistake of misspelling labels or failing to remove expired drugs from shelves in time”. They also threatened to shut down their businesses if the amendments were implemented.
Source : www.tribune.com