Expressing dissatisfaction over the laxity shown by the state government in undertaking measures to implement section 42 of the Pharmacy Act in the state, the Kerala State Human Rights Commission (KSHRC) has lambasted the government and the state pharmacy council for not implementing the Act despite orders from the commission last year. The commission in its order last year had directed the government to appoint adequate number of qualified pharmacists in all the pharmacies in the government hospitals and check the private pharmacies are following the rules in this regard.
The state human rights commission had issued an order in March last year directing the government to implement the pharmacy act in the state in its true spirits, and if any violation is found, strict action should be initiated against it including prosecutions. The commission has now felt that there is negligence on the part of the government and the council to execute the law based on its order. So KSHRC issued a second order last week directing both the government and the pharmacy council to take strong steps to implement the section. The commission has found that its order has not been taken seriously by the government of Kerala.
KSHRC’s letter to the state health secretary in March last year had advised him not to lag in executing the order and appoint adequate number of qualified pharmacists in all the pharmacies in the government hospitals and check the private pharmacies are following the rules. The commission said though the act came into being in 1961, hitherto it was not fully implemented in the state. It had also recommended the government to facilitate the pharmacy council to enforce the act by appointing sufficient number of pharmacy inspectors and empower them to take penal actions including prosecutions if violations were found.
Further the commission has wanted the government to appoint qualified pharmacists in all the pharmacies in the hospitals as there are instances of lapses occurred while dispensing of drugs from other dispensers in the drug store. The commission felt that had qualified pharmacists handled the pharmacies such incidents could have been averted. In its second order, the commission has condemned the health secretary for not informing the commission what action the health department had taken on its first order.
Whereas, the pharmacy council has written to the commission that it had given proposals to the state government for sanction to appoint more pharmacy inspectors, but the government has not responded to it. The council informed the commission that the state is rife with violations in the case of pharmacy act and since there is no support from the government, it is unable to execute any action.