PNG clamps down on snake anti-venom sales
Updated
Authorities in Papua New Guinea have clamped down on the sale of illegal snake anti-venom that experts warn could kill people.
Our PNG correspondent, Steve Marshall, reports the move follows an ABC investigation which exposed a PNG city pharmacy selling Indian made vials.
The drug was made specifically for snakes native to India and could kill people who used the drug to treat bites in PNG.
Consumer watchdog The ICCC has forced the pharmacy to destroy the Indian stock - a move welcomed by PNG based Herpetologist David Williams.
"Up to 600 people die from snake bites in Papua New Guinea each year," he said.
