Pharmacists protest in Hyderabad, demand enforcement of drug laws and closure of illegal medical shops
August 21, 2024 | Wednesday | News
Growing concerns over the misuse of rented pharmacist certificates
Pharmacists staged a protest outside the Drug Control Administration office in Hyderabad on Wednesday- 21 August, calling for stricter enforcement of drug laws and the closure of medical shops operating with fraudulent credentials. The demonstration highlighted growing concerns over the misuse of rented pharmacist certificates and the risks posed to public health.
The protest was driven by allegations that the Drug Control Administration has failed to effectively implement drug laws, allowing unregistered individuals to operate medical shops using counterfeit pharmacist certificates. The pharmacists argue that this negligence endangers public safety, as these shops may distribute substandard or counterfeit medicines.
"We are witnessing a disturbing trend where individuals with no genuine pharmacy education are running medical shops, jeopardising the health of innocent, often poor, people. It's critical that only registered pharmacists are allowed to operate medical stores to ensure the safety and efficacy of medicines," said a spokesperson for the protesting pharmacists.
The demonstration also included calls for the government to take action against medical shops that are operating with rented pharmacist certificates. Protesters argue that these operations are typically run by individuals lacking proper knowledge about medications, posing serious risks to public health.
To avert any untoward incident, the state government had deployed a police force and restricted entry of protesting pharmacists into the Drug Control Administration premises.
