Trade bodies urge Maha govt to curb dispensing of medicines by doctors

Suja Nair Shirodkar, Mumbai Wednesday, July 18, 2012, 08:00 Hrs  [IST] www.pharmabiz.com

Pharma trade associations from Maharashtra has approached the state government requesting them to formulate guidelines to ensure stronger policing of the drug distribution system in the state to restrict doctors from indulging in unethical practice of distribution of medicines to the patients directly. This demand comes in the wake of increased incidents of doctors selling drugs to the patients by misinterpreting the provisions under schedule K (5) of the drugs and cosmetics (D&C) Act. Schedule K (5) from the Act deals with provisions regarding drugs supplied by the registered medical practitioners to the patients directly. It allows the doctors to dispense medicines in their clinics under certain conditions. However, doctors are found to be flouting the rules by dispensing the medicines indiscriminately, at times, even charging a higher price. The stakeholders in the second meeting held by the special committee that was set up by the Maharashtra government pointed out that the government must bring in stronger enforcement of law to ensure that the doctors do not indulge in unfair distribution and dispensing of medicines to the patients directly. It suggested that steps should be taken to correct the loophole in  Schedule K, so that it can prevent misinterpretation by the doctors for their benefit. According to J S Shinde, president, MSCDA, “We want the government to take steps to ensure that the doctors do not indulge in dispensing the medicines to the patients. It is important to understand that their duty is to only prescribe the medicines and not dispense it. Earlier it was allowed because there were not enough chemists and retail shops in the country to supply the medicines to meet the growing demand of the people. Today situation has changed and therefore the rules need to be amended for the benefit of the patients at large.” The trade associations in their representation pointed out that except under critical conditions, the doctors should not be allowed to dispense medicines in their clinics especially when they do not have proper storage facility for stocking the medicines which is essential for maintaining the stability and efficacy of the drugs. He informed, “Most importantly, they do not even maintain a register for the drugs they dispense to the patients unlike the chemists and retailers. This is very important to trace back the medicines that are sold in case of any problem. Unless and until they fulfil all this conditions they should not be entitled to stock and supply medicines to the patients under the schedule K of the Act.” The meeting which was held on July 3 was the second meeting of the committee and was attended by the officials from the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (Maha FDA) and representatives from the pharma trade associations. During the meeting, the stakeholders urged the government to take immediate action to stop the practice of uncontrolled sale of drugs by the doctors.