The Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers may ask for more time to respond to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Petroleum and Chemicals recommendations to amend the Drugs and Cosmetics Act to enable non-pharmacy professionals to dispense the drugs. This will be the second extension sought by the ministry after it failed to get any feedback from the health ministry in this regard.

This is the second time, the Ministry of C&F has been asked to prepare a note on the recommendations of the committee. The first response forwarded by the ministry after seeking opinions from the Health Ministry and the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Affairs, was rejected by the committee, which found it unsatisfactory.

The Ministry in its initial response, opposed the move to dilute the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act after the Health Ministry pointed out the practical problems involved in it. The Department of Consumer Affairs had also informed that they neither have the expertise nor storage facility to take charge of dispensing medicines through public distribution system.

Despite the rejection of the comments by the Parliamentary Committee, the second note to be forwarded is to be framed on the same lines as Ministry of C & F has been given the same response by the Department of Consumer Affairs, it is learnt. The delay in responding to the C&F ministry query is an indication of the Health Ministry's resolve not to bulge to the Standing committee recommendations, which is visibly against the attempts of the ministry to modernize and upgrade pharmacy profession.

Responding to the comments of various ministries opposing the proposals, the Parliamentary committee had said that the Government has not actually understood the "intention" of the Committee.

The committee had noted that "from the analysis of both replies, the committee have a firm opinion that the essential provision of employing qualified registered Pharmacist to supervise the distribution/sale of drugs is the main hurdle in the way of enhancing the access of medicines particularly in the rural areas. The Committee, therefore, reiterate their recommendation and desire that the Government should understand the ground reality, analyse the hurdle in the way of easy accessibility of medicines and come out with concrete proposals."

The Committee had wanted the government to explore the possibilities of relaxing the provisions of Drugs and Cosmetics Act,1940 and Rules made there under so that the educated persons other than pharmacists could get better job opportunities to sell the medicines after some short training. "However, it should be ensured at the same time that the medicines made available to people through this mechanism are safe and conform to the prescribed standards. In committee's view this will serve the dual purpose. On one side more educated persons will get jobs and on the other side the medicines will reach maximum number of population. The Committee also desires that the Government should also identify the medicines which could be sold without prescription of the doctors and without observing the formalities regarding storage and sale of drugs and medicines so that the drugs and pharmaceuticals may reach the common man through Public Distribution system or Sarvapriya Scheme. The quality control measures may also be changed accordingly," it said.

The recommendations was greeted with wide spread opposition from the entire pharmacist profession. The Pharmacy Council of India and Indian Pharmaceutical Association led the protest by coming out with early statements before various ministries and individual members of the Parliament trying to bring to light the perils of taking such a decision.