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Health ministry to amend D&C Act to launch refresher course for non pharmacists
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Laxmi Yadav, Mumbai
November 24 , 2016
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Union ministry of health is planning to launch a refresher course for
unqualified persons who have experience of dispensing drugs under a
qualified pharmacist for more than 5 years in a bid contain the current
shortage of pharmacists at the retail chemist shops.
An amendment to Pharmacy Act and Drugs & Cosmetics Act may be required for the purpose..
The
course will be conducted by the Union health ministry in association
with Pharmacy Council of India. According to the Pharmacy Act and the
D&C Act, only a registered pharmacist can dispense medicines on the
prescription of a medical practitioner.
Scores of retail chemist
shops in the north and north east with unqualified unqualified persons
are under the threat of closure as their license renewals are due in
December with no availability of pharmacists in these regions.
.
In
West Bengal, licence renewals of 4,000-5,000 pharmacies are due in
December. In Uttar Pradesh, licences of 10,000 retail drug stores are
due for renewal in December followed by 5,000 chemists in Bihar, 2,000
drug stores each in Jharkhand, Bihar, Assam, Punjab, 1,500 pharmacies in
Orissa, 500 medical stores each in Uttaranchal, Haryana and Jammu and
Kashmir.
Taking serious note of this, All India Organisation of
Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), a representative body of 8 lakh chemists
in India, had raised the issue pertaining to shortage of pharmacists
with the health ministry at a meet on November 7. The shortage of
pharmacists affected renewal of retail drug licence in north and north
eastern regions, said AIOCD.
At the meet, the trade body urged
the ministry to conduct a refresher course for those persons who have
no basic education in pharmacy, but showed an experience of work under a
qualified pharmacist for more than five years. On Successful completion
of the course, certificates will be issued to participants making them
eligible to obtain retail drug licence. It will help tide over shortage
of pharmacists in the regions. The ministry showed positive approach
towards the suggestion, said AIOCD general secretary Suresh Gupta.
The
meet was attended by joint secretary (health ministry) KL Sharma, Drug
Controller General of India (DCGI) GN Singh, AIOCD general secretary
Suresh Gupta among others. Pharmacy Council of India president B Suresh
who could not attend the meet assured to resolve the issue in a
telephonic interaction with DCGI.
On November 16, health ministry
convened a joint meeting of AIOCD, PCI, DCGI to hold further discussion
on launch of refresher course for non pharmacists operating drug stores
but PCI president B Suresh and DCGI GN Singh could attend the meet.
A
joint meet of health ministry, central government, AIOCD, PCI, DCGI is
likely to be held at earliest to discuss the course curriculum, time
frame etc, Gupta informed.
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