PTA issues notices to websites involved in unauthorized sale of drugs

Speeding up crackdown on websites involved in illegal advertisement and sale of medicines, the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) on Wednesday issued notices to several such websites, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

PTA officials said notices had been issued to two to three those websites, which were not authorized to sell medicines.

The officials further said that following the issuance of notices, some of these websites had removed the content, while those failing to do so would be blocked.

As many as 90 per cent companies remove the content at the PTA’s request.

The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) had requested the PTA to block those websites involved in the advertisement and sale of drugs without authorization.

The DRAP was of the view that online sale of non-registered and smuggled medicines was injurious to public health.

The DRAP had declared the online sale of drugs related to sexual health, weight loss and mental disorders illegal.

Reporter: Waqas Azeem