Against the backdrop of rampant violations of Drug Price Control Order (DPCO) and Drugs and Magic Remedies (DMR) Act, Chattisgarh Pharmacy Association (CPA) has demanded more powers to the drug inspectors in the state for effective enforcement against drug dealers who sell drugs at high prices and make false claims of treating a disorder through magical remedies.

Union health minister J P Nadda has asked the state health secretary to resolve the issue at the earliest.

According to the CPA demand, drug inspectors should be given Class 2 status and the pay band of Rs. 5400. More powers delegated to drug inspectors will lead to faster action against drug dealers who disregard DPCO and sell drugs at high prices under false promises.  

Meanwhile, state government is also in the process of examining the demand. As of today, only 23 drug inspectors are working in Chhatisgarh to ensure compliance in over 6000 drug retail stores in the pay band of Rs. 4,300 Class III clerical grade.

Rues Ashwani Gurdekar, president, CPA, “States other than Chattisgarh have accorded Class 2 officer post to drug inspectors as a result of which drug inspectors don’t have to wait for approval from the higher authorities to take immediate action in case they find any drug dealer disregarding DPCO or violating the DMR Act. Violators of such acts get sufficient time to escape action due to lack of timely intervention by drug regulatory authorities considering also the fact that ignorant people of rural areas have become vulnerable targets of such drug dealers.

“Drug inspector if accorded Class 2 officer post will get powers to even seal the drug retail shop and also suspend the licence with immediate effect for such violations,” he added.

CPA has been demanding the empowerment of drug inspectors so that appropriate action could be taken under DPCO or DMR Act but the demand has not been addressed as yet.

He explains, "There has been instances wherein remedies are sold under the false assurances of magical properties. It is disregard of DMR Act which controls advertising of drugs and prohibits advertisements of drugs and remedies that claim to have magical properties and makes doing so a cognizable offence."

The law prohibits advertising drugs and remedies for inducing miscarriage or preventing conception in women, improving or maintaining the capacity for sexual pleasure, curing, diagnosing or preventing any disease or condition mentioned in the act unless the advertiser is a registered medical practitioner, a party who has been given approval by DTAB formed under Drugs and Cosmetics Act or a practitioner of Ayurveda or Unani who has been given approval by the Central government.

The provisions of the DMR Act contains a list of more than fifty diseases and conditions which attracts penalty ranging from imprisonment to fine against the violators. Not even a single action has been taken under the above provisions against the violators in the state till date.