E-Paper
‘Keep stock of banned medicine separately in shops’
Chemists should also keep the copy of the letter written to the pharma company for return of the stock, said the order
LUCKNOW Chemists need to keep the stock of medicines recently banned for sale by central government separately, said SK Chaurasia, drug controlling and licensing authority of Uttar Pradesh. He added that they should also keep the copy of the letter written to the pharma company for return of the stock.
The chemists and druggist federation of Uttar Pradesh (CDFUP) had raised the issue of officials creating trouble for retail chemists in the name of inspection and in reply, Chaurasia has said that the sale is banned and hence, the stock should not be kept on the shelf. The Government of India recently banned sale of 14 fixed dose combination (FDC) drugs.
Officials from FSDA are now reaching out on retail stores and asking about physical stock of banned medicines. However, these medicines can’t be disposed of like garbage, instead, they need to go through a proper process and that will take time, said Suresh Gupta, general secretary, CDFUP.
“For disposing of medicine, pharma companies have equipment and not individual retailer,” said Suresh Kumar, former president Lucknow Chemists Association, a body of medicine traders in the state capital. “Just as chemists keep expiry medicine separately in a box with a list of those medicine. Similarly, they may keep stock of banned medicines and a list. A letter from retailer to company asking to return the stock (of the banned medicine) and if this is done, no official can take any action,” said Chaurasia.
