960418

Conditions laid

down for export

of pharmaceuticals

to Uganda

MUZAFFAR QURESHI

KARACHI: Uganda has laid down conditions for the export of pharmaceuticals from Pakistan. Export consignments not fulfilling these conditions will be returned, says National Drug Authority of Uganda in a letter to the Export Promotion Bureau.

According to the terms products must have the manufacturing and expiry dates and name and address of the actual manufactures and pharmaceutical standards.

The National Drug Authority acknowledged that since the visit of a Pakistani trade delegations dealing in pharmaceuticals there has been a noticeable increase in the importation of pharmaceuticals from Pakistan into Uganda. But unfortunately the Authority is facing few problems with regards to products exported from Pakistan.

"This has led to a number of cases where we have had to instruct the importer to re-export the consignment back to the suppliers in Pakistan", the Authority said adding that this obviously makes for ill will and is best avoided.

The Export Promotion Bureau has released the guidelines for the exporters of pharmaceuticals to Uganda which are as follows:

Products which bear Neutral Labels - these are labels which do not state the name and address of the actual manufacturer but only that of a wholesaler or trading house. Ugandan regulation requires that the name and address of the manufacturer must appear on the label.

Products which have labels bearing no manufacturing date or expiry date. Labels of pharmaceutical products entering Uganda are required to bear both dates.

Products whose labels do not specify the pharmacopoeia standard to which the product is manufactured. Ugandan law require that the pharmacopoeia, which has been used as the standard of manufacture must be stated on the label. In this respect the relevant law defines the 'Authorised pharmacopoeias' as the British, United States, European or the international pharmacopoeias, the British Pharmaceutical Codex and the British Veterinary Codex. The label must state which of these standards has been followed.

It may be noted that at present the Indian pharmacopoeia is not the authorised pharmacopoeias.