Private chemist shops on PGI campus to be identified by numbers

To avoid fleecing by private chemist shops on the campus of Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, the institute has decided that the shops will be allotted and identified by serial numbers instead of names.

The PGIMER administration came up with the idea after it received complaints that private chemist shops are using the name and symbols resembling with government-run Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment (AMRIT) pharmacies.

Around 15 shops on the premises of the institute have been allotted space by the institute to run pharmacies. The shops are allotted space through a tender process and the monthly rent of some shops on prime locations, which witness a huge rush of patients from the emergency wing, is more than ₹1 crore a month.

To avoid duplicity at the time of allotment of shops, the institute administration has denied permission to chemist shops to use the name of AMRIT pharmacies, officials said.

The AMRIT retail outlets, which sell drugs at highly discounted rates, have a very comprehensive list of medicines. The medicines are affordable and accessible to all sections of people and medicines are sold at discounts between 50 and 80% in the AMRIT outlets.

Officials say that a few shops have installed boards which resemble that of AMRIT. Even the picture of the Prime Minister is used to show association with the government scheme and thus lure patients.

Dr Ashok Kumar, the official spokesperson, said that from next time, shop allotment will be done only on the basis of numbers and thus leave minimum scope for manipulation.

“The institute is making guidelines in this regard. From the next time when shops will be allotted, we will use numbers for identification of the shop,” said Dr Kumar.