The Trichy based Consortium of Indian Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Marketers Association (CIPMMA), a national organisation in Tamil Nadu mainly of pharmaceutical wholesalers, has decided to extend support to All India Chemists and Druggists Federation (AICDF) for their nationwide stir against the decision of the Union government to make only registered pharmacists eligible for wholesale pharma trading.
Talking to Pharmabiz, A Kannan, high power committee convener of the Consortium, said the decision of the Union government to amend the drugs act and rules in favour of the pharmacist community is quite undemocratic and an attempt to monopolise the drug trade. Sale of drugs is a business handled by well educated people in support to the healthcare system and everyone has the right to do it. According to him, the wholesalers do not manufacture any medicine, they only do the business of trade.
For chalking out strategies to launch state level agitations from next month against the government’s move, CIPMMA has called its executive committee meeting in Trichy on September 21. After the EC meeting, the association will submit a memorandum to the Union health minister urging him to withdraw its decision to amend the drugs act allowing the registered pharmacists to hold the exclusive control of pharmaceutical business.
“More discussion will be held at the head office of AICDF in Kolkata, and I am, along with a team of office-bearers, going to Kolkata shortly. Both the organisations will together deliberate on the future agitational programmes,” said Kannan.
While welcoming the decision of CIPMMA, Joydeep Sarkar, general secretary of AICDF said the Federation will take up the issue in the national level and in the southern part of the country, the responsibility will be given to CIPMMA to carry out agitations by mobilizing support of the wholesalers and retailers. He said a traders’ body from Karnataka has already expressed their solidarity with AICDF in taking forward the agitation.
The Tamil Nadu state secretary of AICDF, V P Elango said a mass agitation and rally will be conducted in Chennai in next month as part of the agitation and the members of CIPMMA will also be invited. He further said AICDF will hold a one-day-protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi in next month prior to the nationwide agitations.
The Federation’s executive committee meeting scheduled for September 15 in Kanpur will chalk out programs for the national level agitations, said Joydeep Sarkar.