Usha Sharma – Mumbai
All India Organisation of Chemists and Drugists (AIOCD) had called a nationwide token strike today to highlight their demands. The association is all set to share a memorandum with the state Government. The Indian Pharmacist Association (IPA) did not support the strike while the Indian Medical Association, Maharashtra expressed its support for the cause but did not actively take part in the strike.
Speaking with Express Pharma, JS Shinde, President, AIOCD said, “Today around 3500 people gathered at FDA Maharashtra in Bandra for a protest meeting. We have prepared a memorandum and are awaiting an appointment with the state Government officials.”
While revealing the reasons for calling a token bandh, Shinde said, “The agitation has been declared against the unjustified Government policies and their impact on the fraternity of dealers engaged in the distribution of medicines. We want to put forward four main demands. Firstly, considering the rising operational costs our demand is to maintain the trade margins of medicines and not to reduce it in the forth-coming Drugs (Price Control) Order 2013.”
The second demand from AIOCD according to Shinde, is to resolve the long pending issue of shortage of pharmacists and suitably amend Rule 65(15)(c) of Drugs & Cosmetics Rules to permit the partner/proprietor as a qualified person to dispense medicines.
The third demand is to give relief under Section 19 of the Drugs & Cosmetics Act 1940, to the innocent dealer who may have acted with bonafide intentions, if he submits valid documents of transactions. Administration should not prosecute him till his guilt can be proved.
Lastly, Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) should not be permitted in distribution and retailing of medicines as 25 lakh families (more than one crore population) earn their livelihood through this sector, according to the list of demands presented by AIOCD.
Explaining their stand and their differences with AIOCD’s stand, Abhay Kumar, President, IPA said, “We did not take part in today’s token strike because we want only pharmacists to be allowed to dispense medicines which is clearly mentioned in the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. Owners of the pharmacy or proprietor of the shop should not be allowed to dispense medicines.”
According to an IPA release, they are against the demand of AIOCD to amend Rule 65 (15)(c) of Drugs and Cosmetics Rules to permit the non pharmacist partner/proprietor as a qualified person to dispense the medicines. IPA is not supporting this demand because it is not only against the registered pharmacists but can also be hazardous for public health in India.
The release justifies its stance pointing out that pharmacists undergo university level education to understand biochemical mechanisms of action of drugs, drug uses and therapeutic roles, side effects, potential drug interactions etc. They study pharmacy subjects as well as subjects which are taught to doctors or nurses.
“We have forwarded the memorandum of our demands to the concerned ministries, authorities and have also forwarded it to the Prime Minister, State Chief Ministers, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Finance Minister, Minister of Petroleum and Chemicals, Drugs Controller General of India, and all the states Drugs Controller and Chief of Political parties. We are requesting that they should look into the above vital matters seriously and resolve the burning issues of pharmaceutical dealers.”
Dr Jayesh M Lele, Secretary, Indian Medical Association, Maharashtra mentioned, “Conducting a strike is an illegal offence. We are not actively supporting it and all our doctors will be performing their duties without any hesitation.”
Shinde also drew attention to Section 18 of the Principal Act, in clause (c), for sub-clause (ir), in the Drugs and Cosmetics (Amended) Act 2008 according to which makes the detection of any substandard or misbranded or spurious cosmetic punishable under the TADA and POTA Act. Shinde said, “We want this provision to be deleted from the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 2008.”
