Sale of steroid drug sans prescription banned.

PESHAWAR -- The administration of Peshawar district has banned the sale of dexamethasone, a steroid drug reported to reduce the risk of death among severe Covid-19 patients, without prescription.

It also asked pharmacies to maintain record of all buyers of the drug.

Deputy commissioner Mohammad Ali Asghar issued an order under Section 11 of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Covid-19 (Prevention of Hoarding) Ordinance, 2020, saying all varieties and forms of dexamethasone should only be sold under a formal prescription from an authorised medical practitioner bearing his signature and stamp.

'An entry of every such transaction has to be recorded including name, address, telephone and computerised national identity card numbers of a customer in a registered to be maintained by every medical store/pharmacy. The details have to be produced for inspection by officers of district administration, police and district health office, Peshawar whenever so demanded at any time,' the order said.

It said any violator of the order would be proceeded under Section 3 of that ordinance, which suggested punishment up to three years imprisonment and fine up to Rs50,000.

Peshawar DC asks pharmacies to maintain record of buyers

Following recent reports about the effectiveness of the drug in serious Covid-19 cases, there are reports of an increase in its over-the-counter sale and hoarding by certain pharmacies for profiteering.

The DC's order said some medical stores within territorial jurisdiction of Peshawar district had reported a shortage of the lifesaving medicine, dexamethasone...