The All Uttar Pradesh Chemists and Distributors Federation (AUPCDF), the fifth state affiliate of the All India Chemists and Distributors Federation (AICDF), will commence its formal operations on August 24.

The formal announcement in this regard will be made by the federation officials at a meeting to be held at Allahabad, which is to be held in presence of the AICDF committee members. The meeting would also discuss the agenda for the AICDF actions in near future, according to Prem Ranka, general secretary of AICDF. The national federation already has formally initiated its operations in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Delhi and Puducherry (Pondicherry) by registering state affiliates in these states.

"In our meetings conducted earlier, traders from almost 12 states informed that they are ready to initiate operations in their respective states. The registration process will soon start in states like Maharashtra and the registration for the national body is expected to arrive any time in the first week of September," said Ranka. The meeting at Allahabad is expected to host almost 1,000 delegates from 50 to 60 districts from UP and nearby states, he added.

The national body will initiate talks with the relevant departments in the central government and the pharmaceutical manufacturing companies soon after receiving the registration. The agenda, to be followed up by the federation in future will be discussed in the Allahabad meeting and the operations will be accelerated after the discussions, commented Ranka.

The Federation will also submit a memorandum to the Union ministries of chemicals and health seeking the government to allow the competent licensed retail chemists in northern states to supply medicines without a qualified pharmacist in the outlet, in lines with the criteria followed for issuing license to wholesale drug distributors. The AICDF officials earlier commented that out of more than 6.5 lakh chemists in the country only four lakh are run by qualified pharmacists and the shortage of pharmacists is acute in the eastern and northern states compared to the southern and western states.