The drugs control department of Kerala will convene a joint meeting of drugs traders and board members of the State Pharmacy Council to sort out the issues raised by the traders’ body with regard to the inspection work of pharmacy inspectors.

After hearing grievances of the traders association, the state drugs controller, B Hariprasad has assured them that he would discuss with the Council office-bearers to carry out the inspection work without making any disturbances to the functioning of the pharmacies. He has convened the joint meeting on 25th of this month, prior to the protest march of All Kerala Chemists and Druggists Association (AKCDA).

The major allegation raised by AKCDA against the pharmacy inspectors is that they are usurping the powers of the drugs control officials by conducting enquiries on drug details.

The drugs controller said the department of drugs control has intervened in the matter because the All Kerala Chemists and Druggists Association has given a representation to him requesting to solve the problems. In the letter, the traders have wanted the DC to ‘save them from the torture of the pharmacy council inspectors’, he added.

According to the DC, who is also one of the director board members of the Pharmacy Council, the drugs traders have alleged that the pharmacy inspectors are violating norms while carrying out inspection work. They try to do the job of drugs inspectors whose duties are to inspect the medicines stocked in the stores, finding out their expiry dates, company profiles etc. The pharmacy inspectors, instead of checking whether the pharmacist at the store has white uniforms or all the pharmacies have registered pharmacists etc, they try to find out details of the drugs kept in the stores, Hariprasad informed as he was told.

“No body is against implementation of Pharmacy Act, but the deputed staff should know their limits. In some areas, the pharmacy inspectors are doing the job of drug inspectors who are departmental staff and all are graduates in pharmacy. The pharmacy inspectors are only diploma holders and they are mere dispensing persons in the hospital pharmacies, but assumed the job of pharmacy inspectors. The department is trying to avoid a clash between these two inspection work,” the DC said.

Another major issue raised by the traders out of the inspections of the Council staffs is that they impose fine of rupees one hundred to five hundred for each violation. But the inspectors are not authorised to collect the money and give receipt. So, traders from all the districts have to arrive at the Pharmacy Council office at Thiruvananthapuram to pay the money. If the medical stores fail to keep the deadline, their registrations will be cancelled. So far, three registrations of the pharmacists, who are owners of the shops, have been suspended by the Council.

The Council sources justify their actions by arguing that they are acting as per the Pharmacy Practice Regulations 2015 which came into force in the country from January this year. Pharmacy Council is the statutory body to implement Pharmacy Act in the state and the profession of pharmacy has to be safeguarded as per the act, sources said.