Regulators & pharmacists demand revocation of Schedule K (5) to make registered pharmacists sole authority to keep & sell medicines
The
working pharmacists and regulatory officers across the country are planning to
bring a proposal before the Drugs Consultative Committee (DCC) of the Union
health ministry to make the registered pharmacists the sole authority to keep
and sell medicines in the country. Their demand comes in the wake of the
ministry's decision to amend D&C Rules to replace 'chemists &
druggists' with 'pharmacy' to give retail trade a better professional
recognition.
They want the government to revoke Schedule K (5) in the
D&C Act which mandates doctors to stock and 'supply' medicines to their own
patients visiting their clinics or hospitals. The term 'supply' should be
removed and the word, 'dispensing' should be inserted in the clause by
specifying pharmacist's right to handle medicines even in clinics or hospitals
run by medical professionals.
In the next DCC meeting, expected to be held in May, the
Drugs Controller of Odisha, Mamina Patnaik, will bring a proposal seeking
amendment of Schedule K (5)of D&C Act. Speaking to Pharmabiz, Patnaik said
Schedule K allows doctors to keep and supply medicines to their own patients.
It is not required today as there are more than seven lakhs medical stores in
India.
During 1945 and later, there were not much medical shops in
the country. So the doctors were given special right to keep and supply
medicines to their own patients. Today the situation has changed and we have
more than enough medical stores and qualified pharmacists in every nook and
corner of the country. In the wake of new amendment of the Rules, the Schedule
K in the D&C Act also needs to be amended in order to withdraw the right
given to the doctors, Patnaik said.
S.Lithungo Lotha, Deputy Drugs Controller of Nagaland opined
that Schedule K (5) is complicated and creates confusion, so it needs
clarification. According to him, Schedule 10 should be removed from the Act and
Schedule 13 also needs to be amended.
"There are lots of anomalies in the D&C Rules like
the words, 'shop', 'stores'.etc. Chemists and Druggists Association (CDA) was
originated from the D&C Rules because of the inscription of chemists and
druggists therein. He said while amending the Rules, a clause with 'List of
companies and products with authorisation to be submitted', needs to be
inserted in the conditions before issuing Form 20 B and 21 B.
Deepak Trehan, president of New Delhi based Pharmacy
Graduates Welfare Association (PGWA), commented that there should be strict
laws by the government in terms of dispensing of medicines and their handling. No
category of professionals except pharmacists should be allowed to keep, sell
and dispense medicines. Act needs to be amended in this regard by mandating
that deployment of registered pharmacists is necessary not only in the drug
stores but in the IP wards of hospitals. Doctors, nurses and clerks should not
be allowed to handle medicines.
He further said government should also take steps to include
pharmacy services in the Charter of Patients and in the conditions for NABH
accreditation.
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