Doctors warned as chemists allege some for selling medicine to patients
Acknowledging the complaints from Chemists association, the Drug Licencing Authority(DLA) of Meerut division has warned doctors operating out in the private clinics and the nursing homes in the six districts under its jurisdiction against selling medicines under the veil of ‘dispensing medicines’.
The order directs the drug inspectors of all the six districts under the range, Gautam Budh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Baghpat, Hapur, Bulandshahr and Meerut to warn such doctors running the clinics to make sure that even if they sell medicines, they should duly take a licence from the drug department for retail sale of medicines. The order, issued on October 16, directs to do this duty with the help of Indian Medical Association(IMA).
As per the complaint by Chemists Association, the doctors running the private clinics were selling medicines to patients, under the garb of ‘dispensing medicines’, with some doing so without a bill.
According to Schedule K of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, ‘dispensing medicines’ to one’s patient is allowed, provided the doctors ‘dispense’ the medicine to his patient for free.
But, a licence for retail sale is not possible in Noida as the rules of Noida Authority do not permit the sale of medicines from residential areas and a no-objection certificate (NOC) for the same is given only to a proper medical store.
The president of district chemists association, Anoop Khanna told Times of India that it is true that many of the doctors running clinics in Noida have been selling medicines.
“Many such doctors do not issue a bill for the medicines sold in this manner. Legally, they should take a proper drug licence from the licencing authority in case they want to indulge in retail sale. In case, authorities raid their clinic, they immediately take the alibi of ‘dispensing’ medicines,” he added.
He also added that they have been assembling the list of such doctors and they’ll share it with the district drug inspector A K Jain for the further action. Also, the doctors have to maintain a record of all the medicines being dispensed to patients including the patient’s name, medicine’s names, batch number etc.
“According to government rules, a consulting doctor can only dispense medicines which he prescribes. But there have been some who start selling them. We have circulated the message to all the doctors so that any such act is avoided,” said Arvind Garg, president, IMA, Noida chapter.
The Indian Medical Association’s Noida chapter admitted that some people had been buying medicines online too. Arvind also added that most people had been buying medicines online directly which was again not correct.
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/noida/doctors-warned-as-chemists-allege-some-selling-medicines-to-patients/articleshow/66323696.cms