Registered pharmacists should be appointed to supervise and dispense veterinary drugs because there is no separate license issued for storage and sale of this category of drugs and they come under the drugs & cosmetics rules.

The improper use of veterinary drugs are harmful to animals like that of human beings, according to Dr T Elango, Registrar, Tamil Nadu Pharmacy Council.

While speaking to Pharmabiz, he said there are about 38,000 retail pharmacy outlets in Tamil Nadu and majority of the shop owners are not registered pharmacists.  The medical shop owners engage registered pharmacists to obtain licenses of  drug sale. The licenses are granted on the basis of a declaration given by registered pharmacists ensuring their presence every time in the pharmacy. Unfortunately, most of the registered pharmacists are not working on full time basis because of salary constraints, said he.

Elango, who is the state organiser of Indian Pharmacists Association (IPA), said the pharmacists themselves should ensure their presence every time in the pharmacy in order to comply with the pharmacy act and the drugs & cosmetics act. They should be given a minimum salary of Rs.15,000/ per month . According to him the sale license should be issued only to registered pharmacists. Likewise, strict action should be taken on medical stores where full time pharmacists are not available. Because, it is the duty of the registered pharmacists to ensure the safety of the public  as well as the storage and quality of the drugs in all sectors.

The registrar who was a drug inspector in Tamil Nadu some years ago further opined that the pharmacy education and practice must be regulated by appointing a separate director of pharmacy education like that of other professions. At present the pharmacy education comes under the director of medical education, and this leads to term the pharmacy profession as para-medical profession. It suppresses the rights of the registered pharmacists.

He said the government of Tamil Nadu, for pharmacy related subjects, is looking for the proposal of the director of medical education or DMS or DPH. They are all medical professionals.  The government is not assessing the real positions of the status of the pharmacists in the state. More than sufficient number of technically qualified persons in pharmacy are available in the state, said the Registrar.