Calling upon all the wholesalers of pharmaceutical products in the country to unite under the banner of All India Chemists and Druggists Federation to oppose the move of the Union health ministry to amend Rule 64 of D&C Rules 1945 to make only registered pharmacists eligible for wholesale pharma trading, the AICDF has threatened to launch a nationwide agitation until the government withdraws from the move.
The agitation will be in the form of rallies and demonstrations throughout the country and it will be converted into a mass movement by traders against monopolising the business of pharmaceutical products by a certain category of people with pharmacy educational background, said the general secretary of the Federation, Joydeep Sarkar.
He said the existing wholesalers are long experienced traders in the field and they have been doing valuable services to the society’s healthcare management system.
Condemning the decision of the government, the national secretary of AICDF said at a meeting of the office-bearers of the Federation, scheduled for September 15 in Kanpur that it will take up the issue for discussion in the national level and chalk out strategies for the agitation.
The Federation will also solicit the support of other trade organisations in the pharma sector for its endeavour to press their demand. He said several trade bodies, not affiliated to AICDF, have extended their support for the agitation. The state unit of AIOCD in Karnataka has already contacted AICDF national committee with their support. He said government should withdraw from its move to amend the drugs act allowing the registered pharmacists to hold exclusive control of pharmaceutical business.
“The pharmacy council of India is bringing several rules and regulations, but they do not understand the fact that the number of registered pharmacists in India is not sufficient to carry on the pharma trade in every nook and corner of the country. In the case of wholesale business, PCI should change their slogan, ‘pharmacy with pharmacist’,” he commented.
When asked whether JS Shinde, national secretary of AIOCD, will lend organisational support, Joydeep said it is unlikely to happen as Shinde is a pharmacist. But, he expressed the hope that since a host of members of AIOCD is non-pharmacist wholesalers, there is chance for organisational support.
Under the existing Rule 64, a licence for wholesale business is issued to a person who has qualification in pharmacy or passed matriculation and having four year’s experience in drug sale, or a graduate in any discipline with one year experience in dealing with drugs. However, according to sources, the new rule will not be applicable to the persons already registered prior to the date of final notification in this regard by the ministry.