Pharmacies in Delhi continue to update stock of Covid-19 medicines despite drop in cases

Pharmacies across the city still have to keep updating the stock and prices of eight medicines used for the treatment of Covid-19 on a display board despite there being a significant drop in the number of infections in the Capital

Pharmacies across the city still have to keep updating the stock and prices of eight medicines used for the treatment of Covid-19 on a display board despite there being a significant drop in the number of infections in the Capital.

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The Retail Distributions and Chemists Association (RDCA)-Delhi has written to the chief minister, health minister, and Lieutenant Governor, asking them to withdraw an order dated May 22 that stipulates the said action but is yet to receive a response.

The eight medicines for which the drug stores were asked to display stock position and price includes medicines, such as iveremectin and favipiravir, prescribed to mild Covid-19 patients, and steroids, such as budesonide and dexamethasone, prescribed to moderate and severe patients suffering from the viral infection.

“Everyone has to update the stock position every few hours; there isn’t much demand for the medicines now that the Covid-19 cases have gone down. We have written to the authorities asking them to withdraw the order as it is no longer relevant. Some of the medicines have also been removed from the treatment guidelines,” said Sandeep Nangia, president of RDCA.

The new guidelines, released by the Union health ministry’s directorate general of health service this week, has dropped all medicines, other than those meant for fever and cold, for mild cases from the treatment.

The association wrote to the Delhi government even at the time when the guidelines were released suggesting that the stock position need not be displayed.

“We suggested that drug stores should just mention whether medicines are available or not available on the display board. What use is it for a customer to know whether the shop has 500 strips of the medicine or not? All the medicines are under schedule H or H1 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, so the stores have to maintain register of their stock and sale. The drug department can check that to prevent black-marketing although there hasn’t been a single case of a drug store selling medicines more than the MRP,” said Nangia.

He added, “An issue that a lot of people faced was that they would say that so many doses of a particular medicine are available but there are several brands manufacturing these medicines. If the doctor prescribes a glaxo (name of the company) drug, we cannot substitute it for a cipla drug, to which many customers protested.”

The office of the Delhi’s drug controller could not be reached for comments despite repeated attempts.