Doctors of Bangladesh Medical University (BMU) cannot prescribe unregistered medicines or medicines not approved by the Drug Administration in a doctor’s prescription, and there is no provision or policy regarding what kind of punishment will be imposed if they do so. Therefore, the concerned committee formed by BMU has recommended formulating a policy with provisions for punishment for prescribing unregistered medicines. This information is known from the written report of the concerned committee handed over to the  Vice-Chancellor of BMU, Professor Dr. Md. Shahinul Alam, yesterday, Thursday, November 6, 2025.
A committee was formed with Professor Dr. Mohammad Abu Hena Chowdhury, Dean of the Faculty of Medical Technology of BMU, as the chairman, Dr. Elora Sharmin, Chairman of the Pharmacology Department, and Dr. Abu Hena Helal Uddin Ahmed, Deputy Registrar (Law), as members, and Assistant Director (Law), Advocate Tania Akhter, as member secretary. The subject of the committee was that it appears that unregistered drugs exist in doctors’ prescriptions in Bangladesh. To determine whether the law is violated if unregistered drugs, vitamins, minerals supplements are prescribed in the current law in Bangladesh, and what are the legal remedies/punishment provisions, and to make recommendations for remedial measures.
The recommendation of the committee formed by BMU states that it appears that unregistered medicines exist in the prescriptions of doctors of Bangladesh Medical University. To determine whether the provision of unregistered medicines, vitamins, minerals supplements in prescriptions under the current law in Bangladesh violates the law, and if so, what are the legal remedies/punishment provisions. In this case, the punishment provisions should be formulated in line with the punishment provisions currently in force in various laws in Bangladesh, such as the Medicines and Cosmetics Act-2023 and the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council Act-2010, along with the punishment provisions.
Steps should be taken to ensure that all vitamins, mineral supplements, and healthcare products imported into Bangladesh from abroad through various companies are vetted by the Bangladesh Drug Administration and BSTI in some way and recommended for use or sale in Bangladesh, or whether they even give such permission. Necessary steps should be taken by the IT section so that any doctor can easily get the list of registered medicines by accessing the link https://dgda.portal.govt.bd or https://www.dgdagovt.info .
As a remedy, the committee recommends that BMU or university doctors should take initiatives to increase awareness among everyone by printing leaflets throughout the university to prevent BMU or university doctors from prescribing or advising patients on unregistered medicines that are not approved by the drug administration. Create awareness through seminars and symposiums. Make every doctor aware of the possible penalties for prescribing unregistered medicines. Put up large signboards at all entrances of the BMU hospital, indoor and outdoor, and the university, send letters to the chairmen of every department of this university so that the department chairmen can make their respective department doctors, resident and non-resident students aware of this issue, and arrange for the supply of a list of medicines registered by the drug administration and BSTI to every department and outdoor, etc. Editing: Dr. Saiful Azam Ranju.