Leading Pharmacy Associations like Association of Pharmaceutical Teacher of India (APTI), Udyog Development Foundation (UDF) and Indian Pharmacy Graduates Association (IPGA) have raised objections on All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) announcement of a nation-wide pharmacy bandh on March 28, 2014 in order to press its long pending demand of empowering drug retail owners, with more than two years of experience, eligible to dispense medicines.

The associations have pinpointed that the national bandh will set a wrong precedent and is meant to sabotage the process of healthcare delivery by empowering non- pharmacists to take over the role of pharmacists. Says Dr M D Burande from Association of Pharmaceutical Teacher of India (APTI), " legalising unqualified for dispensing medicines on account of shortage of pharmacists is totally uncalled for as there is no shortage as per the statistics available. There are 700 diploma colleges churning out 40, 000 diploma pharmacists, around 70, 000 pharmacy graduates passing out of 1130 Degree colleges and 142 colleges to produce 4000 pharmacists having a doctorate. The bandh is meant to reap profits by a group of people at the cost of patient safety as pharmacists need not only be employed for community pharmacy but also for developing Drug Information Centres (DICs) in our country.    

Echoing similar views, Atul Kumar Nasa, president, Indian Pharmacy Graduates' Association (IPGA), "Community pharmacy has the dual role of giving medicines and education to the patient after the physician prescribes a therapeutic dose. There is a need to empower the pharmacists in the community pharmacy by standardising their pay scale and salary package on par with global standards. If a pharmacist gets a better deal in the form of a salary package, they will be readily absorbed in the trade and benefit the public at large."

Talking about the role of pharmacists for rational use of medicines to avert Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs), drug resistance and multi drug resistance, Convenor of UDF Amitav J Choudhury argues that we don't have a drug regulatory system in place to get hold of the unqualified people running the trade. He further adds that pharmacists should be educated about drug resistance and drug regulations. The government should get at the root cause and frame policies to standardise separate grade and cadre for pharmacists like the Indian Pharmaceutical Services (IPS) and form a form a separate Directorate of Pharmacy to come up with good governance in the pharmacy sector.  
 
The demand has been festering since the time the trade body launched a nation-wide bandh during May last year. A memorandum to this effect had been submitted to the Union law ministry, Union health ministry and Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) on March 5, 2014. The memorandum also mentions about two other important issues like the need for proper implementation of Schedule H1 by the physicians and lack of knowledge and infrastructure to implement online registration of narcotic drugs by the retail drug stores across the country.