The pharma wholesale dealers in Mumbai are apprehensive that the Maharashtra Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) may file a first information report (FIR) against around 15 wholesalers under the Essential Commodities Act for refusing to supply life saving drugs to a chemist.
The State FDA had recently summoned around 15 wholesalers to get information on non supply of life saving drugs to Tagore Medico, Vikhroli in Mumbai under the Essential Commodities Act. According to sources, this initiative was taken under an order issued by Dilip Rao, vigilance commissioner, Maha FDA who is handling the investigation in this case. The wholesalers fear that under pressure from Rao, the Maha FDA may file an FIR against these 15 wholesalers under the Essential Commodities Act.
A source from the Pharmaceutical Wholesalers Association (PWA) informed that the FDA is not authorised to force them to deliver the goods to each and every counter of a chemist and then making use of the Essential Commodities Act for just this reason. Under the rule no wholesaler is bound to deliver drugs to the chemists but they can buy from any wholesaler if they want to and no one will stop them. If any wholesaler is booked under this Act it will be a first of its kind and will change the history of pharmaceutical distribution in India.
Earlier the Maha FDA had issued show-cause notices to 10 drug stockists and seven retailers in Ghatkopar in Mumbai for non supply of life saving drugs to Tagore Medico, Vikhroli in Mumbai under the Essential Commodities Act. The show-cause notices were issued on a complaint by the Maha-Mumbai Retail Chemists and Distributors Association (MMRCDA) which stated that these stockists have stopped supplying essential medicines to Tagore Medico without sufficient reasons, thus contravening the provisions of the Para 18 of DPCO.
However, a source informed that the wholesalers reported that there have been irregularities of payment from the said chemist which was the reason why the chemist had faced problems. He stated that the chemist was even found selling medicines less than the maximum retail price which affected the business of others.
The stockists who were issued show-cause notices were Jalaram Distributors, Ghatkopar, GS Distributor, Ghatkopar, Keshavlal Raichand Distributor, Ghatkopar, Suburban Distributor, Ghatkopar, Simba Chemist, Ghatkopar, Milan Medical Centre, Ghatkopar, Shah at Savla, Ghatkopar, Santosh Medico Agencies, Bhandup, Vaishnavi Medical Centre, Ghatkopar and SK Agencies Ghatkopar.