The Drug Consultative Committee (DCC) will soon examine the provisions listed under Schedule K of the Drugs and Cosmetics (D&C) Act, with a view to control the practise of registered medical practitioners engaged in stocking and dispensing of medicines directly to the patients without licence. This move comes in the wake of increased incidence wherein doctors were found violating the provisions of the D&C Act by running parallel pharmacies to sell the drugs.

Under Schedule K (5) of the Act, doctors are allowed to dispense medicines in their clinics only under certain conditions like emergency situation and even for stocking they cannot stock more than required amount of medicines as per the law.  However, it is found that doctors are rampantly flouting this Schedule by dispensing medicines indiscriminately at varied prices.

The issue was raised by Gujarat Food & Drugs Control Administration (FDCA) commissioner Dr Hemant G Koshia at the DCC meeting, that was recently concluded in Delhi. Representing the long standing demand of the stakeholders from the state, Dr Koshia requested the DCGI and all the committee members to seriously consider this matter with utmost importance by taking corrective measures soon to control the situation.

He informed, “This is a very complex issue that needs to be discussed and deliberated at full length since it is the patients' interest at risk. We understand that it is not possible to completely stop the doctors from stocking medicines in his or her clinic for emergency cases. However we can certainly think of bringing a cap on the stocking of medicines so that they are allowed to stock only limited amount of drugs required to address only emergency cases.”

However, he stressed that after analysing the recent trends it is essential to curb the practice of doctors selling medicines through the unauthorised pharmacy attached to their clinic or parallel running pharmacies. “This is not an issue faced by the stakeholders only, but also a huge problem faced by the drug regulators as well, since it is done in contravention to the provisions of the law. For dispensing medicine one should have a valid license from the FDCA, once they have it they are free to do this but till then they have to comply with the rules and regulations as enlisted under the D&C Act and Rules,” Dr Koshia stressed.

In the recent years, the Gujarat FDCA has raided and seized over huge quantity of drugs from over three to four such doctors from across Gujarat who were running pharmacy shops parallel to their clinics to dispense medicines. He pointed out, “I have highlighted this issue at the meeting and DCGI has assured to look into this matter at the latest. DCC is considering this matter and may soon arrange a meeting to discuss on the possibility to deal with this issue. Most importantly understanding the gravity of the issue a lot of interaction with the stakeholders and the doctors is also essential so that  whatever decision is taken it is taken in the interest of the general public.”