The Tamil Nadu unit of the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) is planning to mobilize support of the Members of Parliament to press the Central government to reconsider the draft prepared for the amendment of Drugs & Cosmetics Rules 1945, to include Schedule HX for curbing misuse of antibiotics. Considering the medical needs of millions of rural people of the country, the government should withdraw presenting the draft in the Parliament in its present form, said M Arul Kumar, secretary of TNCDA.
He said his association has also contacted the state chief minister with a request that the government should recommend the union government for a second thought with respect to the claims of the pharma traders regarding the amendment. According to him, all the state units of AIOCD will represent to the MPs of the respective states to force the government in addressing the issues raised by the trade community before the draft is presented in the Parliament.
The association of chemists and druggists through its memorandums to the MPs has made another demand that the government should withdraw the exemption given to medical practitioners with regard to purchase of drugs under Schedule K of the D&C Act.
While speaking to this reporter, Arul Kumar said the proposed amendment is likely to create problems in the rural areas which will in turn affect the chemist community also.”We should have a prescription policy on antibiotics, by doctors. So the government has to formulate a national policy or guidelines on prescribing antibiotics. In our country, there is a shortage of doctors in rural areas. In such places, the chemists cannot avoid the demands of the patients, though they approach without prescriptions. For curbing the misuse of antibiotics, both the doctors and common man need to be educated about ill effects of their abuse. Or else, the poor chemists will become the victims of the law”, he said.
“While considering the practical problems of the rural health services in the country, we feel that introduction of Schedule HX will make a major impact on health services. It may make life very difficult for the common man. Already, there are shortages of Registered Medical Practitioners and people in villages may not have facilities to access medicines from cities every time. Keeping prescription for a period of two years and not providing medicines for single prescription will create fresh problems for the chemists. This will ultimately lead to clandestine operations leading to unethical practices”, he opined.
TNCDA secretary also said that there is no restriction on the Registered Medical Practitioners purchasing and keeping medicines under the pretext of giving them to their patients. There is violation on the side of doctors in purchasing the drugs, even those come under Schedule K. When the Schedule HX is implemented, if a chemist violates the law due to unavoidable circumstances, he is liable to be punished under the act for a fine of Rs.20,000 or imprisonment for two years.
The association in its memorandum to the Chief Minister and to the Members of Parliament asks for initiation of training programme for pharmacists managing retail shops. It also demands for continuous education programs for public on the need of proper compliance of dosage regimen and hazards due to non-compliance. It further wants appointment of medical practitioners in all the rural areas and preparation of a comprehensive list of registered medical practitioners in all the states.