by NR Indran / INT

The recent move of Government of India to amend the Drugs & Cosmetics Rules 1945 and insert Schedule HX on misuse of antibiotics will not serve the purpose but will make severe impact on availability of Antibiotics in the 65% of rural & urban population.

We as AIOCD appreciate the move and initiative of Government to curb the misuse of antibiotics and other drugs.  As we are playing an important role in the Distribution of medicines in all the nook & corner of India, we are very much concerned about the implication and implementation part of Schedule HX .

Schedule HX is formulated to curb the misuse of antibiotics in view of the news of 㓕PER BUG䮠Government has sideline the main cause and have find out a scapegoat i.e. トEMIST

The All India body of the chemist fraternity AIOCD have raised the issue with Government of India in this regards and submitted the memorandum to the Honorable President of India, Honorable Prime Minister of India,  Honorable Health Minister Shri Gulam Nabi Azad, The Drug Controller General of  India, All State Chief Ministers and the other concerned.

The schedule has two Parts : Part A  has 16 antibiotics drugs. These drugs should be sold directly by drug manufacturers to the tertiary care hospitals. Part B has 74 drugs and formulations that can be sold by the chemist on the prescription of Registered Medical Practitioners in duplicate and one copy of the prescription will be kept with him for further 2 years.

The AIOCD is of the opinion that while preparing this notification Government has oversighted so many naked issues like availability of Registered Medical Practitioners in rural and micro rural areas, financial conditions of the poor public, mass violation of Schedule K, regular availability of medicines in Government Hospitals and availability of health services to comply with requirements. Also prescribing guidelines, Education & Public Awareness like steps are not taken care prior to thinking of notification which is most important factor.

In a diverse Country like India, even Hon. President of India in her speech in Medical Council of India said that we have insufficient doctors in our country and no doctor is ready to work in rural areas, and the similar problem was observed by Hon. Supreme court in the case of Subhasakhi.

Considering the practical aspects of the present Scenario in Health Services available in the country, we feel that the introduction of New Schedule HX will make a serious impact on health services and particularly in rural and micro interior area of the country. It may put common public towards life in danger due to unavailability of Registered Medical Practitioner (i.e. M.B.B.S. / M.D./M.S./etc) in their area and they may not have sufficient money to rush to the city every time for their minor health problems.

Even keeping the prescription and not providing the medicines for single prescription will create a Law and order situation in the country, which ultimately leads to cladstestine operation and may create unethical practices for availability of these listed drugs.  On the other hand, there is no restriction on the RMPⳠto purchase the medicine and dispensing to their patients. This may be the gross violation of fundamental rights provided to the citizen of this country since the law discriminates between the person and also defeating the basic purpose of bringing amendment.  In case chemist violates this Law due to unavoidable circumstances he will be punished under the act for fine upto Rs. 20000/- and /or imprisonment of 2 years.

AIOCD is of view that instead of making things easy it will become hurdle for people at large and particularly for people of interior and micro interior areas. The AIOCD urges Government to look into the memorandum submitted and rethink on making any such amendments to the D & C rules, which ultimately create hardship for the common public at large.

AIOCD President Mr. J.S. Shinde also said that if our request is not considered by Union Government then it may  affect the survival of 7.5 lakh Chemists of the country.

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