The government of Assam has stopped the decades old system allowing the drug control authorities to issue ‘Restricted Pharmacy Licences (RPL) to unqualified persons for running retail drug stores in rural areas.

The decision was taken in the wake of High Court order and repeated protests by various associations of qualified pharmacists. The state drug control department was issuing the RPLs under section 62A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules on the pretext that there was shortage of registered pharmacists in villages.

According to information from reliable sources, around ten thousand registered pharmacists in Assam are unemployed now.

A notification with regard to the decision of the government was issued by the joint secretary at the department of health on July 19 to the commissioner of Food and Drug Administration (FDA), with copies to the central and state drug control authorities.

With this order, thousands of pharmacies working in the rural and urban areas in Assam will have to be closed with immediate effect. Similarly, more than ten thousand unemployed registered pharmacists are likely to get jobs in the community pharmacies across Assam, according to the general secretary of the Assam Registered Pharmacists Association (ARPA).

The Restricted Pharmacy Licensing system was in existence in Assam for decades. About 80 per cent of the pharmacies in the state used to be operated by RPL holders, especially in rural areas. The licence was issued citing shortage of registered pharmacists. According to pharmacists associations, the drug control authorities were issuing RPLs to the quacks after receiving bribe. Following protests from pharmacists groups, the system was stopped way back in 1984, but after a few years, it started again.

Welcoming the government decision, the secretary of ARPA, Sofiur Rehmankhan, said most of the retail shops in Assam were engaging people with RP licences to sell medicines and the drug control department was issuing the licence without any restrictions. Against this system, ARPA approached the High Court and got an order in their favour. The court had issued the order in March last year directing the commissioner of health department to stop issue of licences to unqualified persons. The court also directed the commissioner to comply with D&C Act and the Pharmacy Act.

Restricted Pharmacy Licenses, in Forms 200A and 210A, can be issued subject to the discretion of the licensing authority to dealers or persons in respect of drugs whose sale does not require the supervision of a qualified person as per section 62A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945.

Commenting on the unethical practice prevailing in Assam, Sofiur Khan said the government has been issuing RP licenses to those persons who have no basic education in pharmacy, but showed an experience of work under a qualified pharmacist for more than five years. Such persons could be allowed to sell medicines in rural areas. They were not allowed to sell medicine in the five kilometer-radius of a full-fledged pharmacy. But, in many areas of the state, several pharmacies are run by RP license holders. Against this illegal drug business, various pharmacist groups had conducted agitations and filed cases with the High Court.

According to the secretary of ARPA, there are 8,000 registered pharmacists and 30,000 licensed pharmacies in Assam. But, when the numbers of licensed and RPL pharmacies put together, the total number of pharmacies come around 80,000 in the state. Anybody can buy even Schedule H drugs from the RPL pharmacies.