Allegedly supplying drugs unfit for consumption:

NDA to ban pharmaceutical firm

The National Drugs Authority has decided to ban a leading pharmaceutical firm which allegedly supplied drugs unfit for public consumption, from selling its pharmaceutical items in Sri Lanka until further notice.

This follows a raid conducted on the premises of the firm at Narahenpita by officers of the Authority yesterday on a complaint made by the Strategic Enterprises Management Authority said W. M. D. Wanninayake, Media Co-ordinating Officer, Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry, in a press release yesterday. A large stock of pharmaceutical items stored in a manner unfit for human consumption were seized during the raid conducted by a team led by the Authority's Director Dr. Hemantha Beneragama, the release said.

The release said the firm will be prohibited from distributing the items until an investigation is made to find out their suitability.

The said firm will be called upon to bear the expenses of the entire investigation process.

Meanwhile a private pharmacy which sold a drug called 'Corex' without calling for a doctor's prescription was also raided yesterday. Investigations revealed that the pharmacy had sold an average of 350 bottles of Corex per month without prescriptions. Corex has a certain degree of alcoholic content and certain people including children used to consume it to get a 'kick'.

Legal action will be taken against the two enterprises if they are found guilty of breaching regulations laid down by the Authority, the release said.