The Maharashtra Pharmacist Association (MPA), a body of pharmacists across all the segments in the profession in the state, has sought the Central government to act immediately on the ongoing pharmaceutical trade related issues to create better environment for working pharmacists and patients.

In the wake of the ongoing battle between the two traders associations, the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) and the All India Chemists and Distributors Federation (AICDF), the MPA sought the government to immediately stop the monopolistic activities of retailer bodies in distribution of drugs. Under the pretext of issuing no objection certificates (NOC) or letter of co-operation (LOC), the traders body controls the pharmaceutical distribution chain and threatens the pharma companies, alleges B E Khomne, president, MPA and a former drug regulatory official with the state Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

"The government should take immediate steps to prevent the trade organizations to accept donation from manufacturers under the garb of letter of corporation or any letter in any other name. We profoundly seek a very positive and healthy support from our own brethren sitting in those trade associations to ponder over what we are trying to bring the better opportunities, where all pharmacists will be benefited," says Khomne. The association, through various letters to the state and central government and departments, has conveyed its demands to create better atmosphere in the segment, he added.

The government should be proactive in taking action against the manufacturers and wholesalers who refuses the sale of the drugs to pharmacist wholesalers and retailers. The government should also amend provisions of Drugs and Cosmetics Rules to allow only pharmacist as proprietor to run the wholesale and retail pharmacies. Till rules are amended, as a matter of exigency, policy should be drafted to give effect to this, demands a letter sent by the association to the central government.

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) should set norms on what percentage of profit be given to retailers and wholesalers in respect of scheduled and non- scheduled formulations. Similarly, the government and drug manufacturers associations should also support professional pharmacists groups to update them on latest developments in the segment through training programmes for working pharmacists, comments Khomne.

Further, the state government should amend the state pharmacy council rules and increase the number of council members substantially to accommodate pharmacists from all disciplines of the profession in proportionate number according to the size of the every pharmacy discipline. The MPA is continuously pursuing its requests with the governments on all these demands, he added.

The MPA, established last year and having strength of more than 1000 members from various sectors of pharmacy profession at present, has also initiated its membership campaign to bring all the pharmacists in the state under its umbrella. The association is envisaged to be a forum of pharmacy professionals including D Pharm, B Pharm and M.Pharm holders and community pharmacists, hospital pharmacists, pharmacists working R&D segment and CROs, in drug manufacturing units or regulatory authorities or pharmacy educators.