The All India Chemists & Distributors Federation (AICDF) has urged the Union health ministry to take measures with the central and state governments to fill up the vacancies of pharmacists in all the healthcare centres under the governments before going ahead with amending the D&C Rules for making only the registered pharmacists eligible for wholesale licence.

In a letter written to the under secretary (drugs) of the Union health ministry, the Federation has wanted the government to desist from its move for amendment in the present model as it will snatch away the fundamental rights of the businessmen/traders dealing in drugs. According to AICDF, the Union health ministry’s plan to amend the D&C Rules is with a hidden agenda to deprive the established pharmaceutical businessmen from the field of pharma trade, which is their legitimate, democratic and constitutional right.

Joydeep Sarkar, general secretary of AICDF, has said in his letter that there is no reference in the list of countries of the World Health Organization about anywhere pharmacists supervising or managing wholesale businesses of medicines. He asked, when there is acute shortage of pharmacists for government posts, why the government is hurrying up for amending the drug rules to make registered pharmacists competent persons for wholesale. He wanted the union health ministry to review its decision and hold back the decision for the time being.

“The decision of the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) to introduce registered pharmacists as competent persons for wholesale drug licensees is very imprudent and irrational step from their side. Either the central or state governments are not able to appoint adequate number of pharmacists in the hospitals, institutions or for the activities or programs like immunization program, patient counseling & care, epidemiology resistance program etc. Government is relying more on ASHA workers (Accredited Social Health Activists), ANM (Auxiliary Nurse Midwives) Anganwadi workers and other government recruited health workers for their varied health programmes. These people are academically not so sound and updated even for conducting important health activities like polio eradication programme (PEP) which is more risky than wholesale business of medicines”, he said in the letter.

He asked the government why they are not introducing the qualified pharmacist professionals in various health programs when the Pharmacy Council of India is demanding for recognition for pharmacists as ‘medical practitioner’ in rural areas, rather than making them wholesale businessmen.

Joydeep said the DTAB does not consist of any representative from the trade community and it does not take any suggestion from any trade association while taking decisions for the amendment of D&C Act or the Rules. The board is a committee of bureaucrats and pharmacists associated with the administrative jobs in the regulatory boards. Amendment has to come in the formation of the Board.

Besides, he pointed out that no discussion was recorded in the minutes of the last 6 meetings (69th to 74th) of the DTAB about making registered pharmacists as wholesale businessmen or no mention about it was there in the agenda. Also there was no record or mention in the agenda about bringing a resolution in this regard. He asked without any proper resolution or agenda how the government could make a notification in this regard.

He narrated that the business of wholesale drug store/godown did not require a registered pharmacist for supplying bulk quantities of medicines to a drug store or institution or a medical practitioner. For maintaining storage conditions or for preservation the registered pharmacists have least role in a wholesale depot. To maintain temperature and other climatic factors for reserving and preserving life saving medicines in different states in India, no specific but contemporary process will be applied since these factors vary from state to state relying on differences of weather conditions. The wholesalers know very well that updating of knowledge is the key factor for resolving such issues.