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Pharmacists refuse to gulp FDA’s bitter pill...
Beginning today, over 44,000 chemists and druggists across the state will be on a two-day strike to protest against the draconian measures adopted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which proposed withdrawal of licences in case of any violation of the FDA's new law (see box).
“We will be protesting against FDA's circular which proposes arbitrary action of withdrawal of licences against any chemist or druggist who is thought to have violated the law,” says Jagannath Shinde, President of Maharashtra State Chemists and Druggists' Association (MSCDA).
“We are closing down all chemist shops in the state for the protest. We have already given a representation to the government. If they still do not heed to our demand, we will then decide the next course of our action,” he added.
He said it has now become increasingly easy to procure psychotropic drugs like Diazepam, Lorezepam and Valium without prescription.
“Till today, a chemist caught selling such drugs without prescription is punished by the area licensing authority. Now, this has been categorised as a serious offence and punishment will be accordingly serious,” he said.
Calling the strike illegal, Kumar said the striking chemists' drug-selling licences could be cancelled.
Meanwhile, medical stores in supermarkets, shopping malls and hospitals will remain open during the strike. “If needed, we will also invoke the Essential Commodities Act and get some shops open for the public,” he said.
framed with no sense of practicality in it and the issues faced by chemists were ignored.
P R Shah of Royal Chemists, New Marine lines says, “There are many laws that cannot be practically followed by us. One law in the circular says that the medicines have to be kept in clean surroundings.
Hitesh Ranawat of Dava-Bazaar, a 24-hour medical store near Bombay hospital says, “We are supporting the bandh because we cannot follow the new rules.
The strike will be held in three phases, all chemists will observe a token bandh for two days today and tomorrow. In phase two, work-to- rule for eight hours only will be followed from Jan 16 to 21. All retailers and wholesalers will stop making fresh purchases during this phase. In the final phase, all chemists in the state will go on a total and indefinite bandh from January 22.
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