Team Herald
PANJIM: All India Organization of Chemists and Druggist Association (AIOCD) have called for a nation-wide chemists bandh on November 23, demanding action from the Centre against online sale of medicines illegally.
Addressing a press conference in the city, Chemist and Druggist Association, Goa (CDAG), President, Prasad Tamba said our association completely opposes the move of central government, towards regularization sale of medicines through internet.
“The sale of medicine on internet is completely illegal as per present provision of Drugs and Cosmetic Act 1940 and Rules 1945,” said Tamba
Stating that the association has done many representations to the central government and other authorities over the illegal online sale of medicines through websites, but the government has failed to act.
“The High Court of Bombay seems very serious on impact of online sales of medicine on public health at the same time after producing various proofs and illegal sale activities of various websites; Government has not taken this seriously and seems to be very ignorant on the issue related to public health. As a reason we have decided to support the bandh, in which all retail and wholesale pharmacies will be closed for 24 hours, from midnight of November 22 to midnight of November 23,” he said
Informing that there have been many issues that we have addressed to the government, which are pending such as sale of medicine on the internet is totally illegal as per the present provision of Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940 and Rules 1945, Increase risk of adverse drug reactions as the patient can take habit forming drugs specially among the youth due to easy availability of schedule and prescription medicine through internet, easy opening to entry of low quality, misbranded and spurious medicines, Big threat of irrational use of medicines.
“Most importantly is the deletion of pharmacist’s role as patient counselor is dangerous. Pharmacist plays an important role as the link between doctor and patient” he added
The association also feels that to protect the interest of handful players introduction of E-Pharmacy, will hamper the interest of over 8 lakh chemists and over 80 lakh workers and their families.
He further claimed that online pharmacies are supplying all the prescription and schedule medicines like anti depression, habit forming, i-pill, MTP kits, codeine cough syrups without confirming the authenticity of prescription and patient who become victims of the illegal process.
Therefore the association has decided to go strike to protect health of general public as well as interest of our members.
