The chemists and druggists in Gujarat has urged the Central government to urgently amend the pricing of medicines sold in the country to nearest to a rupee so that it price can be in a round figure without paise. This demand comes in the wake of the notification made by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to discontinue with the use of 25 paise coins and coins below 25-paise denomination after June 30 this year.

In a representation made to the commissioner of Gujarat Food and Drugs Control Administration (FDCA), the Federation of Gujarat State Chemist & Druggists Association (FGSCDA) stressed that the government should take steps to ensure that the medicines are priced in rupee value rather than in denominations of paise, so that neither the chemist nor the patients suffer in the end.

According to Jashvant Patel, president, FGSCDA, “Almost all the medicines are priced in the denomination of rupee and paise which make it very difficult for us to sell the medicines to the customers.  Now with the discontinuation of the use of 25 paise  and coins below 25-paise, things have become much more difficult for us. We are really surprised on how the government can take such a decision without considering the repercussions that general public or industry may face due to this.”

Though the industry is not against the discontinuation of the use of the denomination of paise, they are concerned with the sudden implementation as they fear that it will affect the trade.

Patel states that because of the unusual pricing of medicines in paise and now with the subsequent discontinuation of the same, retailers are facing heavy loss in business. “In this whole process it is the retailers who end up with the wrong end of the stick. We cannot demand the costumers to pay more in a round figure amount nearest to the rupee value as it would be deemed as violation of the D&C Act which is punishable under the law. On the other hand we are forced to receive the price of the medicine minus the denomination which is subsequently causing us to incur loss,” Patel added.

In its representation the association demanded that to relieve the retailers from their current dilemma, the government must sort out this issue at the earliest by taking a policy decision relating to the pricing of the medicines as soon as possible.