It is matter of great shame that the WHO has listed Pakistan among the countries where fake or sub-standard medicines are sold in the open market. Its estimate of such drugs is between 30 and 40 percent in Pakistan, posing a serious threat to human health. These spurious drugs, the WHO says, are produced in factories located in Lahore, Karachi, Multan and Rawalpindi, all major towns. It was reported recently that in some government hospitals expired medicines were being given to patients putting their lives at risk. The media highlighted the issue and demanded health authorities to act against those involved in this injurious practice. Now that the WHO has spoken, the federal government should initiate strong action against culprits playing with human life for the sake of personal gain. They must be awarded such a punishment that it acts as a deterrent and no one dares commit such a heinous crime against humanity. Similarly, the drug regulatory authority must strictly implement international standards before medicines produced locally are allowed to be sold in the market. Surprise raids need to be conducted on drug stores and samples collected for tests in laboratories. At the same time, buyers should also prefer buying medicines from well-reputed medical stores.