Sin Chanthol, the governor of Siem Reap’s Puok district, has said he is set to meet with the counterfeit drugs committee this weekend after receiving information regarding alleged unregistered medicines and untrained sellers.
Chanthol said he had received a letter from Mak Sam Oeun, Angkor Chum operational district director at the provincial health department, requesting that unregistered medicines being illegally sold by untrained sellers at grocery stores and markets in Puok district be confiscated.
Sam Oeun said in the letter dated June 6 that he had become aware of the “anarchic” sale of medicines in the area covered by the Angkor Chum operational district (OD) health department.
“This anarchic sale of unregistered medicines by untrained sellers is seriously affecting the health of the people because all of these drugs may be expired, of low quality, damaged or improperly used without prescription,” he wrote.
He added that health workers would cooperate with officers to educate the sellers and confiscate all unregistered and illegal medicines to be destroyed at the Angkor Chum OD provincial health department.
Chanthol told The Post that as the issue involved many people, he would first organise a meeting with the counterfeit drugs committee before taking further measures.
“The meeting may take place this weekend or sometime soon because we have been very busy with work related to the recent commune election,” he said
While Chanthol acknowledged illegal medicines were being sold at Puok district markets and grocery stores, he said such cases were rare and not unique to the area.
The Angkor Chum OD health department also requested the confiscation of unregistered medicines being sold at grocery stores and in markets in two other districts, Angkor Chum and Varin.
Chanthol called on people in need of medicine to first consult a pharmacist or other specialist who has undergone professional training and avoid going to untrained sellers who could sell them something that could cause health problems.
Ministry of Health spokeswoman Or Vandine told The Post that the ministry regularly carried out operations against the sale of unregistered medicines by untrained sellers across all provinces.
The drug management law states that the sale of unregistered medicines or those banned by the Ministry of Health is punishable by a fine of 1 million to 10 million riel, with the suspension of the production, import and export of the medicine from one month to three months or any of the above two punishments, regardless of other convictions.
