Licences of six pharmacies suspended in Chamba district
In the ongoing crackdown on pharmacy shops failing to maintain proper sales records of narcotic drugs, the State Drug Controller (SDC) has suspended licences of six chemists in Chamba district.
Two chemists in Chamba and Bharmour have had their licences revoked for one month due to their failure to maintain the accurate records of the controlled substances. Besides, two chemists have been permanently barred from selling narcotic drugs.
The licences of four other chemists have been suspended for seven days after discrepancies were found in their records pertaining to the sale of antibiotics and other controlled medicines.
During the suspension period, the chemists are required to keep their shops closed. Any violation, such as operating the shop during the suspension, will attract a severe action.
Meanwhile, the department has also issued notices to 40 pharmacy shops. If chemists fail to provide a satisfactory response to the notices, action will be taken against them, as per regulations.
The action came following surprise checks by a team of the Health Department, led by Assistant Drug Controller Ashish Rana, on the pharmacy shops across the district.
As per rules, the pharmacies are required to maintain the record of narcotic substances, a mandatory condition before selling such items. Proper record-keeping helps keep track of narcotic substances in stock and sold. However, during the surprise inspection by the department’s team, discrepancies were found in the records of these pharmacies.
All chemists have been instructed not to sell any controlled medicines or narcotic drugs without a doctor’s prescription.
They are required to keep detailed records, including the name and contact information of the prescribing doctor, besides the patient’s information. If a doctor repeatedly prescribes controlled substances to same patient, the chemists are advised to report this to the department.
State Drug Controller Manish Kapoor confirmed that the licences of six chemists in Chamba had been suspended for a certain period over discrepancies.
