THE EDITOR: The recent call by a joint select committee of Parliament for urgent action to stem the entry of unregulated drugs is both absurd and indicative of incompetence - particularly on the part of the Pharmacy Board representatives and the Ministry of Health.
The true issue in this country is how government and statutory bodies suppress small entrepreneurs and suppliers while effectively promoting large suppliers in the pharmaceutical industry.
The controversy surrounding Ozempic and Emergen-C illustrates the inefficiency within the Food and Drugs Division of the ministry.
Both are already registered in developed countries and used worldwide, yet the division delays their registration unless a large supplier is involved.
The cumbersome and prolonged process effectively excludes small traders from the market, creating a clear bias toward bigger players.
It is especially strange that this obstructive approach is being used now.
When I served as minister of health, I directed the division to promptly register any pharmaceutical already approved in stringent, developed-country systems, eliminating unnecessary duplication.
However, the current modus operandi is to allow large firms to register their products first, giving them a competitive edge over smaller firms.
Moreover, the Pharmacy Board, the Health Ministry, Food and Drugs inspectors, and even the FIU (Financial Intelligence Unit) are all deployed to target small suppliers under the pretence of dealing with 'unregistered' pharmaceuticals.
This tactic effectively pushes smaller traders out of the market, consolidating power in the hands of a privileged few.
I strongly recommend transferring the registration of pharmaceuticals from the Food and Drugs Division to Cariri (Caribbean Industrial Research Institute), which can assess the necessary data and then allow the Bureau of Standards to handle the final registration process.
Doing so would help dismantle the nepotistic practices currently hindering smaller entrepreneurs.
Another pressing concern is the apparent selective enforcement of labelling laws.
Many Chinese supermarkets stock items labelled only in Chinese, which violates the existing food and drugs regulations. Yet the Food and Drugs Division fails to address these infractions, revealing a glaring double standard.
In conclusion, the Food and Drugs Act itself requires an urgent amendment to ensure faster, impartial registration. This would eliminate the obstructive practices undermining small entrepreneurs and restore fairness and competitive equality in the pharmaceutical sector.
DR FUAD KHAN
former health minister
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