Karnataka State Registered Pharmacist's Association and Federation of Chemists and Druggists of Karnataka have opposed the move by the Union government to frame a law to permit sale of household remedies from unlicensed outlets.

In this connection, Ashokswamy Heroor, president, Karnataka State Registered Pharmacist's Association who is also the vice president, Federation of Chemists and Druggists of Karnataka has submitted a memorandum to the Union minister of chemicals and fertilizers Ramvilas Paswan to prevent sale of home remedies through unlicensed outlets.

The government was to amend the Schedule K of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940-1945 to permit trade of home remedies through any outlets in the country which includes analgesics, antipyretics like paracetomol, apart from aspirin, antacid preparations, paediatric grape water, inhalers for congesants, ointments for burns, cotton wool and bandages to name a few.

Ashokswamy in his letter brought to the notice of the Union minister for chemicals and fertilizers that the consumer or patient has no knowledge of either medicine or pharmaceuticals and hence the rule of selling home remedies through unlicensed outlets would not suit Indian conditions. "There is no clear cut definition for a 'Prescriber' in the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940 and the Act was framed at a time when there was no pharmacy education in India. Now in the present times, students of pharmacy are arming themselves with doctorates. In the West, 'Prescriber' of medicine is referred to as pharmacist and in the Indian context he would be a qualified medical practitioner. Under the circumstances if the Union government framed a law for sale of household remedies via unauthorized chemists it would be detrimental to the health of the people in the country," he stated.

The memorandum also pointed out that there are more than 36,000 registered qualified pharmacists in the Karnataka State Pharmacy Council and also more than 10,000 unregistered pharmacists in the State. Among them only 8,000 retail shops have been issued licenses to operate the business and there are more than 38,000 pharmacists who still remain unemployed. This means that there is a huge potential to issue the licenses to the qualified persons for retail business.

According to the present Union government norms, the wholesalers need not be qualified persons to man the pharmacy operations. In this regard, the government needs to take steps to amend its norms and must issue licenses only to qualified persons to start wholesale business in pharmacy trade, pointed out Ashokswamy Heroor.

"There is a need to issue as many licenses to qualified persons to reduce unemployment among pharmacists. Hence, the government should take both unemployment and the sale of household remedies through unlicensed outlets with a single shot to thwart the impending adverse affects on the public health," he said.