the Mumbai chemists withdrew the agitation and shops are open without
any time restrictions. But most of the chemist shops still do not have a
pharmacist at the counter all the time. And the the FDA commissioner
has not stopped his state wide inspection of chemist shops to see that
pharmacists are present at the retail counter all the time.
Most of state governments in the country have miserably failed to ensure implementation of section 42 of the Pharmacy Act ever since the section was added to the Act. This section came into effect on September 1,1984 to end the practice of running medical shops without qualified persons. The state pharmacy councils and drug control departments of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala had also conducted similar raids against retail chemists for violation of Section 42 in the past. But the practice continues even today and most of the 6 lakh retail chemist shops in the country are still being managed by salesmen with some superficial knowledge of medicines. Absence of a qualified pharmacist at the counter can definitely affect the quality of service by way of unprofessional counselling leading to wrong dispensing and over medication.
This needs to be strictly curbed in the interest of public health. Section 42 is an ideal piece of legislation and all the developed and most of the developing countries have the practice of keeping full time pharmacists at retail counters. In India, owners of chemist shops are blocking the implementation of the Section from the very beginning. Their objection to have a full time pharmacist at the counter is the 'unbearable' costs of appointing a pharmacist throughout the working hours in a chemist shop. That may or may not be true. But, when anyone venture into a business he cannot bypass the existing laws governing that business. And the enforcement agencies cannot be blind to perpetual violation of the provisions of any Act.
Therefore, both Centre and state governments have to seriously ponder about this lingering issue and have to come out with a right solution without any more delay.
Most of state governments in the country have miserably failed to ensure implementation of section 42 of the Pharmacy Act ever since the section was added to the Act. This section came into effect on September 1,1984 to end the practice of running medical shops without qualified persons. The state pharmacy councils and drug control departments of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala had also conducted similar raids against retail chemists for violation of Section 42 in the past. But the practice continues even today and most of the 6 lakh retail chemist shops in the country are still being managed by salesmen with some superficial knowledge of medicines. Absence of a qualified pharmacist at the counter can definitely affect the quality of service by way of unprofessional counselling leading to wrong dispensing and over medication.
This needs to be strictly curbed in the interest of public health. Section 42 is an ideal piece of legislation and all the developed and most of the developing countries have the practice of keeping full time pharmacists at retail counters. In India, owners of chemist shops are blocking the implementation of the Section from the very beginning. Their objection to have a full time pharmacist at the counter is the 'unbearable' costs of appointing a pharmacist throughout the working hours in a chemist shop. That may or may not be true. But, when anyone venture into a business he cannot bypass the existing laws governing that business. And the enforcement agencies cannot be blind to perpetual violation of the provisions of any Act.
Therefore, both Centre and state governments have to seriously ponder about this lingering issue and have to come out with a right solution without any more delay.
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