Demanding that seniority should be the basic criterion for recruiting pharmacists through employment exchange, the Tamil Nadu Pharmacists Welfare Association (TNPWA) held a morning to evening fast and a demonstration at Chepauk stadium here on March 3.

Recently, based on the government order, the health secretary announced recruitment of pharmacists through employment exchanges giving weightage for marks secured in school and colleges. Against this announcement of the health secretary, TNPWA organised several meetings across the state before March 3, and finally they held the state wide dharna in the capital. The association wanted the government to stop giving weightage for marks in recruitment.

The association leaders met the health secretary and submitted a memorandum requesting to cancel the GO 401 which was issued on December 16, 2014 announcing the recruitment of pharmacists in government hospitals and other institutions. The dharna was attended by 300 diploma holders from all the districts and was inaugurated by Dr. G Ravichandran, general secretary of Doctors Association for Social Equality.

While speaking to Pharmabiz, Patten Raj, secretary of TNPWA, said the health department was violating the norms of recruitment through employment exchanges, and the government policy will hamper the chances of older people who are looking for jobs through employment exchanges. He said the demands of the association include strict implementation of Section 42 of the Pharmacy Act 1948, which mandates dispensing of drugs only by qualified pharmacists.

He said recruitment of pharmacists should be done through medical recruitment board (MRB). He alleged that the regulatory authorities in Tamil Nadu was not enforcing the act and due to their apathy several non-pharmacists are taking advantage of the profession and qualified pharmacists remain unemployed forever.

After the dharna, the association leaders met the secretaries of animal husbandry and of the health department of the Chennai corporation in support of their demands. They said that pharmacists should also be appointed in the pharmacies of veterinary hospitals.